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HOUGHTON MIFFLIN CO. 

Boston New^ork Chicago 



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Copyright N°_ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



THE BRITISH ISLES 



BY 






EVERETT T> TOMLINSON 



WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS 




BOSTON, NEW YORK, AND CHICAGO 

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 

(Cfre mftzxmbe $ve& Cambribge 



COPYRIGHT, I909, BY E. T. TOMLINSON 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



©CU253865 



PREFACE 

No way of obtaining a knowledge of the great world 
has ever been invented that is equal to traveling about 
and seeing it with one's own eyes. Next in value to trav- 
eling one's self, is reading about the travels of others. It 
is becoming more and more fully realized that books of 
travel — if written from the child's point of view — are 
better teachers of geography than the geographical text- 
book, with its ordered marshaling of data that have been 
squeezed dry of all picturesqueness or human interest. It 
need hardly be said that information which arises natu- 
rally out of vivid personal experiences, and which takes, in 
many instances, the form of graphic impressions and pic- 
tures, will not only prove far richer in inspiration for the 
child, but will make a deeper impression on the memory, 
than facts presented in the barren and prosaic manner 
of the ordinary text-book. 

The writer has prepared this little book with these 
considerations in mind. He has felt that there is no more 
vital way of teaching geography than letting young trav- 
elers see interesting places with their own eyes. Hence, 
with the idea of making American boys and girls, who 
cannot see the British Isles for themselves, acquainted 
with them in imagination, he journeyed through these 
islands for three or four months, in company with some 
young friends. The book, therefore, is arecord of places and 
things actually seen and enjoyed by these young people. 

No geographical reader has heretofore devoted itself 
exclusively to the subject of the British Isles ; yet even 
a whole volume can hardly do justice to so important 
and interesting a country. The extraordinary place occu- 



iv PREFACE 

pied by the United Kingdom as a world power, and its 
close historical connection with the United States, are 
sufficient reasons for presenting it as a unit to American 
boys and girls. English law, civilization, language, liter- 
ature, and life belong alike to both England and Amer- 
ica ; indeed, a knowledge of them is essential to a proper 
understanding of our own country. 

The writer has tried to give a comprehensive, and, 
within its scope, an adequate picture of the British Isles, 
— of their scenery and their people ; their customs, 
homes, cities, and industries ; their storied castles and 
cathedrals, their lordly estates and famous schools. A 
great many details have of necessity been omitted, and 
emphasis has been placed on the more important and 
significant phases of the life observed. To make the book 
stimulating, as well as informing, it has been left to the 
boys and girls to look up many easily found facts sug- 
gested by the journey. 

Pupils should read the introduction before taking up 
the reading of the body of the book. The acquaintance 
with the geographical facts therein summarized, with the 
brief history of England given, will serve as a fitting 
background for the better appreciation of the book. It is 
suggested, also, that the introduction should be carefully 
reviewed after the reading of the book has been finished. 
Suggestive questions will be found at the end of each 
chapter, which will help pupils and teachers to select the 
important facts to be fixed in memory. The Appendix 
gives statistical tables that will be valuable for reference. 

The author desires to acknowledge his indebtedness 
for -the many useful suggestions made by teachers and 
others who read the manuscript before its publication. 

Everett T. Tomlinson. 

Elizabeth, New Jersey. 



CONTENTS 



INTRODUCTION 

Facts about the British Isles 
The Story of the English People . 
CHAPTERS 

I. The Voyage 

II. First Views of England 

III. Old Places and New .... 

IV. Castles and Colleges .... 
V. The Greatest City in the World 

VI. Places of Interest in London . 
VII. Places of Interest near London 
VIII. Towns and Downs in the South 

IX. Moors and Mines 

X. The Gray Cities of the North 
XL In the "Land o' Cakes" 
XII. Highlands and Lowlands . 

XIII. In the Emerald Isle .... 

XIV. From Dublin to the Lakes of Killarney 
XV. In St. David's Land 

APPENDIX 

Contrasts and Comparisons between the British 
Isles and the United States 

Area of the British Isles 270 

Population 270 

Chief Cities and Towns, with Population . 271 

Principal Rivers 272 

Lakes 272 

Chief Products of the British Isles . . 273 
The British Empire 273 

INDEX 277 



Xlll 
XX 

I 

14 

25 

35 
49 
61 
89 
102 
125 

143 
168 

185 
208 
224 

252 



269 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

Physical Map of the British Isles viii 

Political Map of the British Isles (in colors) . . facing i 

Leaving the Dock 3 

On Deck 5 

In the Cabin 6 

The Smokestacks 8 

At Sea 10 

An Ocean Billow • . . n 

An Ocean Steamer in Dry- Dock 14 

A Dock at Liverpool 15 

The End of the Voyage 17 

Liverpool from the Landing Stage 19 

An English Locomotive ........ 21 

An English Railway Compartment ..... 25 

Roman Ruins at Chester 27 

King Charles's Tower 28 

The River Dee at Chester 29 

Eaton Hall 31 

English Sheep and Lambs 36 

The East Gate, Warwick 37 

Warwick Castle 39 

Kenilworth Castle 40 

Stratford-on-Avon 42 

Shakespeare's House 43 

Rowing-Races at Oxford 46 



viii ILLUSTRATIONS 

Tom Tower * . 47 

New College Cloisters, Bell Tower, and Chapel . . .48 

Charing Cross 50 

The Thames Embankment 51 

A Congested Section 52 

One of the Horse Guards 53 

The Kew Gardens ■ . 55 

The Thames, at Billingsgate 56 

Rotten Row 58 

Westminster Abbey 62 

The Poets' Corner 63 

The Coronation Chair 64 

The Houses of Parliament 65 

The House of Commons 66 

The House of Lords 67 

The Tower 69 

London Bridge 73 

Trafalgar Square 74 

Pall Mall 75 

Piccadilly Circus 76 

Oxford Street 77 

The Strand 78 

Fleet Street . . 79 

The Old Curiosity Shop 80 

The Mansion House 81 

The Bank of England 82 

The British Museum 83 

The National Gallery 86 

Hampton Court 92 

Windsor Castle 94 



ILLUSTRATIONS ix 

In the Quadrangle at Eton 97 

School Buildings at Harrow 98 

A Street in Harrow 99 

Margate. The Jetty 104 

Chatham. The Dockyard 106 

Dover Castle 108 

Brighton from the Pier 1 1 1 

Portsmouth Harbor . . . , 113 

Saint Peter Port, Guernsey 115 

Saint Aubin's, Jersey 118 

The Pier at Southampton 119 

Osborne House 123 

A Typical English Inn 126 

Winchester School 127 

The Dining-Room at Winchester School . . . .128 

Salisbury Cathedral 130 

Stonehenge 131 

The Vale of Avalon 132 

Ruins of Glastonbury Abbey 133 

Eddystone Lighthouse 135 

Land's End 138 

An Ancient Bath 141 

Entrance to the Headmaster's House at Rugby . . . 146 
Quadrangle at Rugby, showing the Boys' Studies . . .147 

Railway Station at Rugby 148 

Fishing Vessels at Yarmouth 150 

A Scene on the River Ouse .158 

A Scene near Newcastle 160 

Bowness from Furness Fell 162 

A Coaching Party in Ambleside 164 



x ILLUSTRATIONS 

Ambleside 165 

Carlisle Castle .... 166 

Melrose Abbey 169 

Abbotsford 1 70 

Edinburgh Castie 173 

Holyrood Palace 175 

The Forth Bridge 176 

Public Buildings in Aberdeen 180 

Shetland Ponies 182 

Shetland Women 183 

The Summit of Ben Nevis 188 

FingaPs Cave 190 

The Pass of Glencoe [92 

Stirling Castle 194 

Dumbarton Rock and Castle 197 

Glasgow University 198 

On the Clyde near Glasgow 199 

A Bridge in Glasgow 202 

Robert Burns' Birthplace . 205 

A Busy Street in Belfast 209 

An Irish Jaunting Car 212 

An Irish Flax-Mill .214 

The Giant's Causeway 220 

Londonderry . . .. . . . . . . .221 

Sackville Street 225 

Trinity College Green 226 

St. Patrick's Cathedral 227 

Science and Art Museum 229 

Cutting Peat 232 

A Farming Section 234 



ILLUSTRATIONS xi 

Fair Day at Killarney 239 

One of the Lakes of Killarney . . . . . . .241 

St. Patrick Street, Cork 243 

Blarney Castle 245 

Waterford 247 

The Vale of Avoca 24S 

The Rock of Cashel 249 

A Welsh Camp-Meeting 254 

Mt. Snowdon 256 

Bettws-y-Coed .• 258 

Costumes of Welsh Women 259 

Llandudno 260 

Landscape in Wales 262 



The cover design is from a drawing of the Tower Bridge, London. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

The Publishers acknowledge courteous permission to reproduce pho- 
tographs as follows : From the North German Lloyd Steamship Com- 
pany. Messrs. Oelrichs and Company, New York, Agents, pages 3, 5, 6, 
and 8; from the White Star Steamship Company, pages 14 and 17; 
from the London and Northwestern Railway, pages 21, 25, and 148; 
and from Mr. J. M. Hall, Manager of the Bay View Reading Circle, 
Detroit, Michigan, pages 36,40, 47, 50, 51, 52, 53, 76, yy, 78, 79, 126, 
147, 162, 164, 165, 175, 182, 183, 212, 214, 232, 234, 239, 241, 248, 254. 
and 262. 



INTRODUCTION 

FACTS ABOUT THE BRITISH ISLES 

LOCATION 

The most important group of islands in the world is situated 
in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the northwestern coast of Eu- 
rope. The largest of these islands is Great Britain, a narrow 
body of land, 636 miles in length, running nearly north and 
south, and separated from the mainland by the narrow waters 
of the North Sea. South of it is the English Channel, and the 
broad Atlantic beats on its western shores. In the northern 
part of Great Britain is the mountainous country of Scotland. 
England occupies the southern and largest part, with the tiny 
land of Wales, one seventh its size, jutting boldly out from 
the middle of its western boundary. Westward of Great Britain 
is Ireland, short and broad in form, a third its size, separated 
from it by the Irish Sea, and having a coast as jagged as that 
of the larger island. 1 

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS 

The larger part of Scotland, starting from the extreme north, 
is a rugged, mountainous region called the Highlands, where 
is found the highest peak in Great Britain, Ben Nevis, 4406 
feet high. To the southeast of the Highlands are the fertile 
Scottish Lowlands, and the Lowland Hills, sometimes called 
the Southern Uplands, ending in the line of the Cheviot Hills 
which divide Scotland from England. 

The little peninsula of Wales is also a hilly and mountain- 
ous country, but its highlands, like those of England, are lower 

1 See Appendix for figures and tables showing the area, dimensions, 
and population of the countries of the British Isles; the population of 
their chief cities ; their chief products ; and their principal rivers with 
length in miles. 



INTRODUCTION 



than those of Scotland. The highlands of England, beginning 
in the north near the Scottish hills, extend along its western 

boundaries, ending in 
the high peninsula of 
Cornwall, the extreme 
southwestern point of 
Great Britain. As we go 
east and south, we find 
plains and lowlands. 
Indeed, the island of 
Great Britain as it 
widens out gradually 
toward the south seems 
to flatten itself out at 
the same time. 

We can easily see 
from this that most of 
the rivers must flow 
eastward, and that, in 
the basins of these rivers 
are found the fertile 
lands, — which have been largely washed down from the hills. 
Among the most important English rivers are the Thames, 
the Humber, the Great Ouse, and the Trent on the east, and 
the Severn, the Mersey, and the Dee on the west. Among 
the chief rivers of Scotland are the Clyde, the Forth, the 
Tay, and the Ayr. 

Although Ireland, as we approach it from the sea, looks as 
if it might be a very hilly country, we soon find ourselves mis- 
taken ; for most of its beautiful green hills are massed along 
the shores, and the interior dips, so to speak, into a great plain 
(not unlike a saucer in its form), with many swamps and peat 
bogs. This level land makes navigation possible for nearly 
two hundred miles on the Shannon, Ireland's chief river. 

Many years ago the mountains and rivers of Britain were 
natural barriers which made possible the existence of separate 




PHYSICAL MAP OF THE BRITI 



INTRODUCTION xv 

nations like the Scotch, Welsh, and English. To-day these 
three divisions form one nation called the United Kingdom. 

CLIMATE 

The British Isles are noted for the dampness of their cli- 
mate and their large rainfall. The prevailing winds are from 
the west, laden with moisture. As the clouds, driven by these 
winds, strike the hills in the west, the moisture is condensed j 
rain, therefore, falls more heavily in western England than in 
the east. Scotland and Ireland, for similar causes, have even 
more rainfall than England. The British Isles are not subject 
to sudden or extreme changes in temperature. This is due to 
the fact that the surrounding bodies of water tend to warm 
the air in winter and to cool it in summer. The winters, there- 
fore, are warm, the summers cool, the difference between the 
heat of summer and the cold of winter in Scotland being on 
the average only nineteen degrees. In America, North Caro- 
lina, which is two thousand miles nearer the equator than Ire- 
land, has nearly the same average temperature as the latter. 

RESOURCES 

The location of the British Isles has provided rare oppor- 
tunities for the development of the nation, giving freedom 
from invasion, nearness to important markets, long hours of 
daylight, protection from the cold Arctic currents, Advant 
as well as from extremes of temperature, and, per- of Location 
haps most important of all, the cheap transporta- an oasts " 
tion which the sea affords. Another great advantage of the 
islands is their broken coasts, which abound in excellent 
harbors, some of which have the double advantage of being 
" back to back," such as those of the Thames and the Severn 
rivers, of the Mersey and the Humber, the Clyde and the 
Forth. (See map facing page i.) The jagged coast line of Eng- 
land is two thousand miles in extent, while Scotland, although 
a much smaller country, has a still longer coast line. 

Agriculture was once a leading industry of Great Britain, 



xvi INTRODUCTION 

but its importance has been greatly lessened in modern times 

by the agricultural development and competition 

Agriculture. ; , , , . , , TT . , 

of other and larger countries, such as the United 

States and Germany. Whereas, at one time, Great Britain used 
to export large quantities of food products, it must now im- 
port them from other countries to feed its immense popula- 
tion. 

An important fact in connection with agriculture as carried 
on in Great Britain is that much of the land is owned, in the 
shape of great estates, by a comparatively small number of 
wealthy men, in whose families it has been for hundreds of 
years perhaps. These "gentleman" owners do not cultivate 
their estates themselves, but rent the lands, on long-time hold- 
ings, to tenants, who supply the capital and employ the labor- 
ers needed for their cultivation. Because of the thorough and 
scientific methods applied to farming by these " capitalistic " 
tenants, as they are called, the soil of Great Britain yields 
more per acre than that of any other country. 

Wheat (grown chiefly in the fertile lands of southeastern 
England) formerly headed the list of cereal products, but its 
production has greatly fallen off since the opening up of the 
immense wheatfields of the United States. Oats and barley 
(which are the staple crops of Scotland) are now raised in 
somewhat greater abundance than wheat. The other principal 
agricultural products are green crops (particularly turnips, 
used for feeding stock), potatoes (the great staple of Ireland), 
small fruits, and hops. The large number of towns have made 
market gardening an especially profitable industry in present- 
day England, and its importance is steadily increasing. 

While the raising of crops has decreased, stock-raising has 
greatly increased, England surpassing all other countries in 
Stock-rais- ^ e quality of her domestic animals. Cattle, sheep, 
ing- horses, pigs, and poultry are raised in large num- 

bers, there being in Great Britain more than half as many 
sheep as there are in the whole United States. Grazing lands 
are found largely in the north and west of England, although 



INTRODUCTION xvii 

stock-raising, as well as agriculture, is also carried on in the 
eastern portion. The large number of cities make the produc- 
tion of butter, cheese, and eggs likewise profitable. 

The great mineral resources of England are iron and coal. 
More than three thousand square miles of coal-fields — chiefly 
in northern England and Wales — are worked. Un- Mineral 
til recent years, no other country could compare Wealth. 
with England in its production of coal and iron, but now the 
United States and Germany are formidable rivals in this re- 
spect, our own country leading the world. Tin, lead, and zinc 
are also mined, but in far smaller quantities than either iron 
or coal. 

The shallow waters surrounding the British Isles abound 

in fish of fine quality, fish being the only food product that 

Great Britain supplies in quantity to meet its own ^ 

r^, - f . , r • Fisheries, 

demands. The fisheries, therefore, are an important 

industry, the value of the annual catch being estimated at 

more than $45,000,000. Billingsgate, London, is the largest 

fish market in the world. 

Many factors (apart from the agricultural competition of 
other lands) have combined to turn England from an agri- 
cultural country into one of the greatest manufacturing and 
commercial nations in the world. Chief among these factors 
are its great resources of coal and iron, its damp climate (which 
is especially adapted to spinning), its splendid harbors, its 
numerous rivers, and its nearness to the sea. Great manu- 
facturing cities, such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, 
Leicester, Nottingham, and Sheffield, have grown up in the 
north, where natural conditions are most favorable to their 
development. 

Cotton manufacturing (the centre of which is Manchester) 
is the chief industry of the United Kingdom, which furnishes 
two thirds of the world's output of cotton, in spite Manufac- 
of the fact that most of the raw material must be turln e 
imported. In the textile industries, woolen manufacturing is 
only second in importance to that of cotton, while- the manu- 



xviii INTRODUCTION 

facture of iron and steel ware (notably at Birmingham), and 
of machinery, is carried on extensively. England also pro- 
duces large quantities of beer, pottery, and chemicals. The 
manufacture of linen is the chief industry of Ireland, which 
produces the finest linen in the world, the extreme dampness 
of the climate giving a whiteness to the linen that can be at- 
tained in no other land. 

It should not be forgotten that England owes much of its 
manufacturing supremacy to the great mechanical inventions 
of Englishmen, like Hargreaves and Arkwright, Crompton and 
Watt. Among these inventions should be mentioned the spin- 
ning jenny, the power loom, used in the manufacture of tex- 
tiles, and the steam engine, which did away with the old- 
fashioned custom of using water power in moving machinery. 

The fine harbors of England, affording splendid facilities 
for trade, have helped greatly to develop its manufacturing 
Commerce interests, just as the manufacturing cities have 
and helped to develop the nation's immense commerce, 

which, in a recent year, amounted to the stupen- 
dous sum of nearly five and a half billion dollars. New- 
castle, Hull, Yarmouth, Dover, Portsmouth, Southampton, 
Falmouth, Plymouth, Bristol, and Liverpool, with their har- 
bors, form a marvelous line of coast cities, — a line that in- 
cludes London, the greatest city in the world. 

The best harbors of Wales are Swansea and Cardiff in the 
south, and Holyhead in the north. In Scotland, Glasgow, 
Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, and Ayr are all on or near 
the coast. The chief cities of Ireland — Belfast, Dublin, Lon- 
donderry, Cork. Limerick, Queenstown, Waterford, and Wex- 
ford — are also all on or near the sea. 

Shipbuilding is carried on extensively in the coast cities 
Ship- of the British Isles. The foremost shipbuilding cen- 

bmiding. tres are Qi aS g OW ( w hich leads the world in this 
industry) and Belfast. 

Great Britain, in its ambition to be the greatest commer- 
cial nation, believes in owning more ships than any other 



INTRODUCTION xix 

country. Its total shipping, estimated by tons, is at present 
four times as great as that of the United States, and 
is nearly as great as the combined shipping of all 
the rest of the world. 

Great Britain has also developed a remarkable system of 
inland transportation by means of canals and rail- Trans _ 
ways, all of which add greatly to its resources. portation. 

The British Isles are the centre of a vast empire that covers 

one fifth of the lands on the globe. The English- „ , . , 

b & Colonial 

man's boast is that the sun never sets on his flag. Posses- 
A list of all the countries comprising the British sions " 
Empire will be found in the appendix of this book. These 
great colonial possessions furnish a vast additional source of 
wealth and power to the English people. 

The extent and remoteness of these possessions, added to 
the fact that Great Britain itself is merely a small island lying 
off the great continent of Europe, have rendered a British 
large navy necessary. To-day England has a navy Navy> 
which it plans to keep always equal to the combined navies 
of any two powers. With such a protection, England can well 
feel that it is safe from invasion, and that none of its vast 
possessions is in clanger of conquest by a foreign power. 

FORM OF GOVERNMENT 

The form of government of the United Kingdom is a 
limited or constitutional monarchy, consisting of the King 
and Parliament. Parliament comprises two branches, — the 
House of Lords and the House of Commons. Members of 
the House of Commons are elected by the people, while birth 
or rank determines the membership of the House of Lords. 
Parliament can make new laws or alter those previously made. 
Its authority extends to church, civil, and military affairs. 



THE STORY OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE 

THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN (B. C. 55 -A. D. 445) 

The ancient inhabitants of Great Britain were called Brit- 
ons, a people belonging to the Celtic race, which then oc- 
The ancient cupied all the British Isles. The great Roman gen- 
Britons, ej-ai^ Julius Caesar, found them, when he invaded 
the island in b. c. 55, a warlike, half-savage people, who lived 
much as the early American Indians lived, and who painted 
their bodies blue. The civilized Romans gradually conquered 
The Roman most of Britain, and ruled there for three centuries 
Conquest. an( j a half, but finally had to withdraw from the is- 
land, in order to protect their own country from invaders. 
Meanwhile, they introduced Christianity, and built many 
great cities, roads and walls, the remains of some of which 
may still be seen. 

ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD (445-1066) 

Left to themselves again, the Britons were now more help- 
less than beforehand after a long struggle they were finally sub- 
dued by the Saxons, and their kinspeople, the Angles and Jutes, 
bold and hardy sea-rovers from northern Germany. From 
the Angles, or Engles, who spread very widely throughout the 
KingArtnur couritr y> England finally received its name, al- 
Sixth cen- though the Saxons were the stronger people. Eng- 
lish people of to-day are often called Anglo-Saxons. 
In connection with those early days, arose the famous stories 
of King Arthur, who is supposed to have been a British king, 
bravely fighting the Saxon invaders of his country. The Saxon 
conquerors of Britain were pagans and wiped out Christianity, 
but about the sixth century they were converted to it by mis- 
sionaries from Ireland and Wales. 



INTRODUCTION xxi 

THE DANISH INVASIONS (787-1066) 

After becoming masters of England, the Saxons themselves 
were repeatedly attacked by the Danes, a people from northern 
Europe akin to the Northmen or Vikings. The Danes finally 
gained almost complete possession of the country. But in 
the ninth century the brave and wise Saxon king known in 
history as Alfred the Great, forced the Danes to give Alfred the 
up half of their conquest, and to accept Christianity. Great. 871- 
He built up a strong Saxon nation, making many 
wise laws, and establishing schools and churches. In the elev- 
enth century, a Danish king again completely conquered Eng- 
land, and his son Canute, who succeeded him, be- Canute, 
came a wise and great ruler, who was beloved by 1014-1035. 
his English subjects. Two more Danish rulers followed, and 
then a Saxon king, Edward the Confessor, came Edwardt i ie 
to the throne. In his reign London was made the Confessor. 

1042-1066 

capital of England, and Westminster Abbey was 
built. 

THE NORMAN CONQUEST (1066) 

Saxon England, however, was soon to be conquered by the 
Normans, a people from the north of France, who were de- 
scended from the Northmen, or Vikings. William, W iniamthe 
Duke of Normandy, claimed that King Edward Conqueror. 

J . 1066-1087. 

had promised him the English crown, and in a 
fierce battle at Hastings, in 1066, he, with his invading army, 
defeated Harold, the last of the Saxon kings, and became 
ruler of England. After his death, three of William's Later Nor . 
descendants, called Norman kings, ruled succes- man Kings. 
sively, and Normandy was added to England (al- 
though it was lost in later years). The French language and 
customs had meanwhile been introduced, and many great cas- 
tles and cathedrals were built. The Normans were a better 
educated and more civilized people than the Saxons, and they 
at first looked down with scorn on the rude, simple people 
they had conquered, and treated them harshly. Nevertheless, 



xxii INTRODUCTION 

the Normans introduced many new ways of living and of think- 
The Eng- m & mt0 En gl an d, which was a very good thing for 



nsh and the country. As the years passed, the two peoples 
becomTone were gradually united into one, from whom the 
nation. English of the present day are descended. 

THE PLANTAGENETS (1154-I399) 

In olden times it was not customary in any country to al- 
low the great masses of the people to have any share in the 
government, and if a king happened to be selfish and tyran- 
nical (as kings were likely to be), his subjects — especially 
the poorer people among them — had a very unpleasant time 
of it. The English, however, have always been an unusually 
sturdy and independent race, and their history shows them 
mainly engaged in one long struggle for freer and better gov- 
ernment. At first the common people were not strong or in- 
telligent enough to take much part in the struggle, and it 
was chiefly carried on by the great nobles and the clergy, who 
already had a share in the government, but who wanted still 
more freedom from the tyranny of the kings. 

By a system called feudalism, the common people were 
subject to these great nobles, who controlled all the land ; 
they were bound to serve them, and looked to them 
for protection. The very poorest people were indeed 
little better than slaves. It was a lawless age, when nobody 
seemed to have any rights that anybody else was bound to re- 
spect, and as might be expected, the nobles (or barons, as they 
were called) were often cruel and unjust in their treatment of 
the poor people under them. It was a good thing, therefore, for 
Henry II. the whole country that the first of the new line of 
1154-1189. kings called the Plantagenets happened to be a 
strong and fair-minded man. He took away much of the law- 
English ^ ess P ower °f tne barons by making better and 
laws are stronger laws, and by establishing courts, and trial 
by jury. He was an able ruler — this Henry II — 
and he has been given the title of the " lawyer-king." 



INTRODUCTION xxiii 

Another famous, but not very useful, Plantagenet king was 
the bold warrior, Richard the Lion-Hearted, who cared for 
nothing but roaming about in foreign lands in quest Richardthe 
of exciting adventures. Those were the days of Lion- 
knighthood and of chivalry, when fighting was con- j^ssl-nag 
sidered the most glorious occupation a nobleman 
could engage in. The bravest knights of Europe, including 
many of royal rank, were trying to wrest the Holy The 
Land (where Christ had lived and died) from the Crusades - 
heathen Turks who had captured it, and Richard the Lion- 
Hearted, was among the most daring of these "Crusaders," 
as they were called. 

But King John, who succeeded Richard, was a great coward, 
and such a bad, tyrannical ruler that, without intending to do 
so in the least, he proved of the greatest usefulness John 
to his people in the end. For, after everybody had H99-1216. 
become thoroughly disgusted at his obstinacy and extrava- 
gance, his barons rose against him in a body (12 15), The ^gh^ 
and compelled him to sign a parchment taking classes be- 
away a large portion of the king's power to oppress mand their 
the people. This was called Magna Charta (the great ri s hts - 
charter), so highly prized and so jealously guarded ever after- 
ward by the English people that, although many Magna 
later kings tried to rule without paying any atten- Charta. 
tion to it, they were forced again and again to confirm it. 

The barons also rose against and defeated the next king, 
Henry III, another extravagant and selfish man ; and, as they 
were by this time beginning to feel that the common Henry in. 
people had some rights in the government as well as 1216-1272. 
themselves, they reorganized Parliament (the body of men 
who helped the king govern), and allowed men who 
did not belong to the nobility or the clergy to be monpeople 
represented in it. This was the beginning of the represented 
House of Commons in Parliament. inPariia 

It was to be expected that the little country of 
Wales (whither long ago many of the Celtic inhabitants of 



xxiv INTRODUCTION 

Britain had been driven by the Saxons) would some day be 
overcome by these bold descendants of the Saxons and Nor- 
Edward I. mans. This was what actually happened in the reign 
1272-1307. f Edward I, who gave his son the title of Prince 
of Wales, borne to this day by the eldest son of the reigning 
sovereign. The conquest of Ireland had already begun, and 

was to continue through many cruel years. The 
Conquest . 

of Wales Irish were brave and freedom-loving, and perhaps 
andireiand. wou i c j not h ave Deen conquered in the end by the 
English if they had been so fortunate as to have a great leader 
to unite them. 

Meanwhile, the bold and hardy Scottish people in the 
rugged land to the north of England had stoutly kept their 
Trouble independence as a nation. Nevertheless, trouble 
with Scot- began when King Edward I was asked by them to 
decide as to the claims of two rival Scottish kings, 
Bruce and Balliol. Edward pretended at first to take the part 
of Balliol, but he soon put forth claims of his.own to Scotland, 
defeated the Scots, and imprisoned Balliol. Then a brave 
Scotchman, Sir William Wallace, rallied his people together, 
and though he fought the English valiantly, he was defeated 
and cruelly executed. Finally, the Scotch succeeded in placing 
Robert Bruce (grandson of the original Bruce) on the throne. 
Edward II. In the reign of Edward II, they regained their in- 
1307-1330. dependence by winning from the English the great 
battle of Bannockburn, of which all Scotch people to this 
day are so proud. 

When Edward III ascended the English throne, the Scotch 
were still upset over the question of whether they should be 
Edward in. ruled by a Bruce or a Balliol. They were greatly 
1330-1377. enraged when Edward, by helping Balliol to be- 
come king, gained control over a large part of their coun- 
try. 

In their struggle with England, the Scots received help 
from the French. Partly because of this, but chiefly because 
he claimed through his mother, who was a French princess, 



INTRODUCTION xxv 

title to the French throne, Edward began the famous Hun- 
dred Years' War with France, carried on at inter- 
vals by later kings. In this war, the common people f the Hun- 
of England were to play an important part. All this ^ ed Years ' 
time, they had been growing stronger and more intel- 
ligent, and had been gradually freeing themselves from the 
power of the great nobles, to whom, in earlier times, they had 
all looked for protection in time of war. The English armies 
were no longer composed, as in former days, of knights and 
men-at-arms, fighting clumsily on horseback, while Riseof the 
weighted down with heavy armor. The great victo- English 
ries gained by the English in the Hundred Years' y eomen - 
War were won by the sturdy English yeomen, who fought on 
foot with their longbows and arrows. For these yeomen, the 
French armies, still made up of knights on horseback, and 
of archers who used the old-fashioned clumsy crossbow, were 
no match. 

You will remember that the Normans introduced the French 
language into England. English, however, had always con- 
tinued to be the language of the common people, Ush bg 
although the educated classes used French and comes the 
Latin. In the fourteenth century, at the time we j^j^^ 
find the first great English poet writing (Geoffrey 
Chaucer, author of the " Canterbury Tales "), English had 
become and was henceforth to remain the language of the 
whole people. 

The English Parliament had, from very earliest times, even 

when not so powerful as now, claimed the right to say what 

king should be allowed to rule. So when, in this Richard n. 

same fourteenth century, a certain king (Richard 1377-1399. 

II) had displeased the people by his acts of tyranny, and 

had been compelled by them to give up his throne, p ar u ame nt 

Parliament bestowed it on his cousin, Henry, Duke e * er f i8e8 

'. its right to 
of Lancaster, who, as Henry IV, started a new line choose a 

of English rulers called the House of Lancaster. ruler * 



xxvi INTRODUCTION 

HOUSE OF LANCASTER (1399-1461) 

During the reign of Henry IV, the House of Commons 
gained more power than it had ever had before, although it 
Henry iv. wa s destined, in later years, to lose a good deal of 
1399-1413. j t again, as we shall see. 

The second Lancaster king was the brilliant and dashing 
King Henry V, who was more ambitious for glory in war 
Henry v. than for the good of his subjects. So he continued 
1413-1422. t i ie Hundred Years' War (which had ceased in 
previous reigns), and was so successful that he gained pos- 
session of northern France, and married the French 
Henry VI. princess. A little later, in the reign of Henry's 

1422-1461. r ° J 

son (Henry VI), the wonderful young French peas- 
ant girl, Joan of Arc, who believed that she had been sent by 
God to save her country, took charge of the French armies, 

and won great victories from the English. France 
JoanofArc. ta & 

was saved, but Joan was captured by the English 

and burned at the stake as a witch. Soon afterward, the 
English lost all they had gained in France, except the city of 
Calais. Thus ended the Hundred Years' War, which had 
caused such terrible suffering. It had shown how much need- 
less harm a ruler who was vain and ambitious for mere glory 
could do to his own people and to those of other lands as well. 
But this war was hardly over when the selfish ambition of 
would-be kings caused some terrible wars in England, fought 
between the House of Lancaster, represented by King Henry 
The "Wars ^' anc * tne House of York, another branch of 
of the royalty that claimed the throne. The fierce con- 

tests that were waged between the two Houses 
were called the " W T ars of the Roses," because the emblem 
of Lancaster was a red rose, and that of York a white one. 

HOUSE OF YORK (1461-1485) 

After some bloody fighting, carried on mainly by the no- 
bility, who were most interested in the outcome, and during 



INTRODUCTION xxvii 

which first one side and then the other gained the mastery, 
the House of York triumphantly placed King Ed- Edward iv. 
ward IV on the throne. The people, in their desire 1461-1483. 
to have a worthy king, had taken sides with first one claimant 
and then another, dissatisfied with the faults of each. Yet so 
little responsibility toward their people did kings of those 
days feel, that hardly any ruler could be depended upon to 
act wholly for the interests of his subjects. The reign of 
Edward IV is notable, not because of his own worth, but be- 
cause the first printing press was set up in England T he first 
by William Caxton, in 1477. The placing, by this P^ting 

J • 1 r 1 press is sex 

means, of printed books within the reach of large U p in Eng- 
numbers of people, made them all brighter, more landl 
intelligent, and more eager for the greater liberty that was to 
come to them in later years. 

The little son of Edward would have succeeded his father, 
as Edward V, but, with his younger brother, he was killed in 

the Tower of London by his wicked and ambitious tij 

■" Edward V. 
uncle, who became King Richard III. The Eng- 
lish people, horrified at Richard's baseness, rallied to the sup- 
port of a new leader, Henry Tudor, the nearest sur- R i Chard iii. 
viving claimant to the throne, who became King 1483-1485. 
Henry VII, the first of the Tudor kings. 

THE TUDORS (1485-1603) 

When these Tudor sovereigns came in, there was no strong 
nobility left to resist the power of the kings, for large num- 
bers had been killed in the "Wars of the Roses." Thetired 
Parliament, also, had completely lost its power, people sub- 
The Tudor kings, therefore, were destined to be JJ"^ * on . 
the most independent and haughty rulers that Eng- archical 
land had had for many years. Yet, after all the ex- rule " 
citement and bloodshed of the " Wars of the Roses," it was per- 
haps a good thing for England, in many ways, to have a strong 
central government such as these Tudor sovereigns built up. 

It was during the reign of the first Tudor that Columbus 



xxviii INTRODUCTION 

discovered America (1492). Immediately after that wonder- 
Henry vil. ^ discovery, European kings began to send ex- 
1485-1509. plorers and colonizers to the New World. John 
America Cabot, setting out in the name of the English king, 

discovered the mainland of North America in 1497. 
Henry VIII, the second Tudor sovereign, stands out in 
history as the most thoroughly wicked and selfish of all the 
Henry viii. English kings. He knew no law but his own wishes. 
1509-1547. Events, however, of the greatest importance, hap- 
pened in his reign. Upon the Pope's refusing him a divorce 
from his wife that he might marry again, he declared the 
Pope to be no longer head of the English church, and setting 
up a national church, he made himself its head. 

This church remained at first a good deal like the Roman 
Catholic Church in its form of worship, although changed and 
The change modified in later years. At first most of the people 
in religion, stoutly objected to the change Henry had forced 
upon them, and many were persecuted by the self-willed 
king for refusing to acknowledge him as head of the church. 
As the years passed, however, more and more people 
grew accustomed to the change, until finally practically the 
whole of England had become greatly attached to the Pro- 
Edward vi. testant faith, and was ready at all times to fight for 
1547-1553. it. Henry's son, Edward VI, who succeeded him, 

was also declared head of the church, but upon his 
lsSisss. death, his 'sister Mary, who became queen, tried to 

restore the Roman Catholic Church to power in 
England, and persecuted many of her subjects who would not 
return to it. 

Mary's sister, Queen Elizabeth, who succeeded her, made 
the national religion Protestant again, but she, too, had a 

great deal of trouble in trying to make all of her 
15 1 53^603. SUD J ec ts worship according to the royal will. By this 

time, many Protestants had come to believe in and 
to practice a simpler or " purer " form of religion than that of 
the established church. For this reason they were called Puri- 



INTRODUCTION xxix 

tans, and Elizabeth punished them for their disobedience al- 
most as severely as she did Catholics. It was an age when 
kings and queens thought they had a perfect right . 
to force upon their subjects the form of religion thepuri- 
which they themselves approved. 

The reign of Elizabeth, or the " Elizabethan Age," as it is 
called, was one of the greatest in English history. Elizabeth's 
subjects were, on the whole, fond of their queen, . 
because they realized that, notwithstanding her invincible 
many cruelties, she was really devoted to England, Armada - 
and, in spite of religious differences, a decided national feel- 
ing came about. This was greatly increased after the English 
had destroyed the Invincible Armada, the enormous fleet 
which Spain had sent to conquer England. 

After this victory England was, for the first time, a really 
powerful nation. Commerce flourished as never before, while 
Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, and other 
bold and courageous men sailed on their voyages nessofthe 
of exploration. Famous writers arose, to express in Elizabethan 
books, in plays, and in poems, the new knowledge, 
ideas, and feelings that the discovery of a New World and 
the invention of printing had spread among the people. The 
greatest of these writers was Shakespeare. Others were Ed- 
mund Spenser, Ben Jonson, Sir Francis Bacon, and Beau- 
mont and Fletcher. 

THE HOUSE OF STUART (1603-1714) 

Elizabeth was the last of the Tudors, her successor being 

James Stuart, who was heir also to the throne of Scotland. 

By his accession as James I, he united the thrones jamesi. 

of England and Scotland. James was the first of 1603-1625. 

a line of kings who, by their reckless disregard for the rights 

of their subjects, were to bring great trouble to 

. The people 

England. He was very conceited, but so unlike a begin to 

king in looks and manner that people began to "emselves 

lose the deep respect for royalty which the haughty 



xxx INTRODUCTION 

Tudors had inspired. Besides, the religious persecution from 
which they had suffered had aroused their spirit. Parlia- 
ment had now got back much of its old-time power, and as 
James thought that kings had a " divine right " to do every- 
thing they pleased, whether fair to the people or not, he was 
constantly quarreling with it. James's reign is not- 
lish settle- a ^^ e Decause the first successful English colony 

mentsin was planted in America, at Jamestown, Virginia, in 
America 

1607. (Sir Walter Raleigh, in 1585, had tried to 

plant one in Roanoke, Virginia, but had failed.) The Pilgrim 
Fathers, also, who were Independents in religion (that is, 
they believed in even a simpler religion than the Puritans), 
and who had fled to Holland to escape King James's perse- 
cution, sailed in the Mayflower, in 1620, and made the first 
settlement in New England, at Plymouth, Mass. 

Charles I proved an even greater tyrant than his father, 
James I. He taxed the people unmercifully, he tried to govern 
Charles 1. without the consent of Parliament, and finally with- 
1625-1642. out an y Parliament at all. By this time, the House 
of Commons in Parliament had grown very strong, and many 
Puritans were among its members. They decided to submit 
no longer to Charles's rule, but to set up a government 
of their own, and to force their own religion upon the country. 
So the great Civil War broke out, between Parliament and 
the common people (called Roundheads because they wore 
their hair short) on one side, and the king and his friends 
(who were called Cavaliers) on the other. A great leader of 
the Roundheads soon arose in the stern and harsh Puritan, 
Oliver Cromwell. Under his leadership, the king's party was 
defeated at Marston Moor and Naseby. Charles was brought 
to trial by Parliament as a tyrant and traitor, and beheaded. 
The office of king was abolished, and England was 
archyis at l ast ruled by the representatives of her common 
overthrown, people. The government was called a Common- 
wealth, and Cromwell was the Lord Protector. During Crom- 
well's rule many victories were won by the English in foreign 



INTRODUCTION xxxi 

waters. One of the greatest English poets, the Puritan, John 
Milton, who wrote " Paradise Lost," lived during these trou- 
blous times, as did, also, John Bunyan, author of "Pilgrim's 
Progress." 

Cromwell's son, Richard, succeeded him as Lord Protector, 
but soon resigned. Most of the people had now become tired 

of the harsh rule and stern religion of the Puri- mx . 

° Tne mon- 

tans, and were anxious to have a king again. So archyis 
Charles's exiled son was invited to ascend the restored - 
throne as Charles II. The Puritans, or Roundheads, were 
immediately swept out of power, and large numbers of them 
were punished, for the Cavaliers now ruled both in Parliament 
and in the church. 

Charles, however, soon proved himself so worthless a king 
that even his devoted friends, the Cavaliers, were forced to 
see it. A party inclining to Puritanism again grew Charles n. 
up in Parliament, and there was constant strife 166 ° 1685 - 
between the king and the House of Commons. The people, 
however, won another great victory, when the famous Ha- 
beas Corpus Act was enacted by Parliament in The Habeas 
1679. This established the right of untried prison- Cor P usAct - 
ers to be brought on demand before a judge for investigation 
of the charges on which they were held. 

For a number of years past, English people had been stead- 
ily emigrating to America, and their colonies had grown very 
strong. Large numbers of Puritans, who had been Enclish 
dissatisfied with the state of things in England dur- colonies in 
ing previous reigns, had settled in New England, menca - 
the first having arrived not long after the Pilgrims. In this 
way the English were extending their power all along the 
Atlantic coast. In 1665, England went to war with the Dutch, 
after having boldly seized the great province of New Nether- 
lands in America (now New York) which the Dutch had 
settled. In 1681, the English gained still more territory in 
America when Charles II granted the province of Pennsyl- 
vania to William Penn for settlement. The eminent scientist. 



xxxii INTRODUCTION 

Sir Isaac Newton, and John Locke, the philosopher, lived 
in this reign, and among the great writers was John Dry- 
den. 

Charles was succeeded by his brother, James II, who was 
a Catholic ; but the people preferred to have a Protestant 
James II. king, and he was obliged to give up his throne 
1685-1688. an d leave the country. The people of England 
were now more determined than ever to choose their own 
rulers, and they resolved never again to let any king govern 

„„„ without the consent of Parliament. James's daugh- 

William J b 

and Mary, ter, Mary, and her husband, the Dutch Prince of 
1688-1702. Orange, came over from Holland, by invitation of 
the people, and became joint rulers of England, after having 
agreed to the Declaration of Rights drawn up by Parliament, 
which took away forever from English kings the power of 
governing without the consent of Parliament. What is called 
a constitu- a constitutional monarchy was now definitely estab- 

tionai mon- ii sne d in England, and remains to this day. With 
archy is & J 

firmly es- the help of France and Ireland James tried to re- 

tabiished. gam his tnrone? b ut was defeated at the Battle of 

the Boyne, in Ireland. During the reign of the two sovereigns, 
war with France was carried on, which, in America, was 
called King William's War. 

William and Mary were succeeded by Mary's sister, Queen 
Anne, who was not clever enough to take any real part in 
Anne. the government. This was a good opportunity for 

1702-1714. tne House of Commons to do the real ruling, and 
it has ever since continued to do it, except in the reign of 
TheEng- George III. The intense religious feeling had died 
llsh sov- down, and everybody was now much more inter- 
ceases to ested in politics. Parliament had been for some 
take an ac- time made up of two great political parties, — the 
the govern- Tories, who believed in aristocracy, and the Whigs, 
ment. w h were people of more liberal ideas. 

The war with France was continued (in America it was 
called Queen Anne's War), and a great general, the Duke of 



INTRODUCTION xxxiii 

Marlborough, won the battle of Blenheim and other splendid 

victories. England and Scotland were united in 

this reign into the Kingdom of Great Britain, with England 

one Parliament and one crown (1707). England and Scot- 

land 
gained from France, Nova Scotia and Newfound- 
land, and was now richer and more powerful than she had 
ever been before. Many great writers lived at this time. 
Chief among them were Swift, Addison, Pope, and Daniel 
Defoe, author of " Robinson Crusoe." 

THE HOUSE OF HANOVER (1714- 

George I, the next king, was a German prince, of the House 

of Hanover, the great-grandson of James I. His reign was 

peaceful and prosperous, but he was such a weak George I. 

king that the part he should have taken in the 1714-1742. 

government was represented by his advisors, or, as they were 

called, " ministers," who were chosen from the rul- 

• T-. i- * , r,. ^ , Government 

ing party in Parliament. Among these Sir Robert by min- 

Walpole became so powerful that he really created isters- 

the office of Prime Minister of England. 

In the reign of George II, a brilliant man, William Pitt, 

the elder, became War Minister, and England won many 

triumphs on land and sea. In the war with France George n. 

(in America called the French and Indian War), 1742-1760. 

Canada was taken, and the struggle with France in America 

came to an end. England also gained possession of _. ... 

X 116 Jj Tig IIS n 

India through the energy of a great company of Empire is 
English merchants (the East India Company), and expanded - 
by several great naval victories she became the acknowledged 
mistress of the sea. 

George III, the next king, was very different from the 
Hanoverian kings who had preceded him. He was so deter- 
mined to govern in his own way that Parliament George in. 
and his ministers were weak enough to give in to 1760-1820. 
him. Through his obstinacy he brought a great disaster upon 
England, for, by his high-handed and scornful treatment of 



xxxiv INTRODUCTION 

the American colonies, he provoked the American Revolu- 
A eri- t * on ' ^Y wmcn tne y won their independence, in 
canRevolu- 1783. 

tlon " Although England lost her American colonies in 

this reign, she gained the great region of Australia and New 
Zealand by sending out, in 1769, an exploring expedition in 
charge of Captain Cook, which took possession of this whole 
territory. 

From 1800 to 18 12, England was at war with the great 
French general, Napoleon, who had become master of Europe. 
Lord Nelson with his fleet prevented Napoleon 
gains lands from invading England, and won the famous naval 
andprestige. baU]e of Trafalgar (1805). In 1812, the Duke of 
Wellington completely defeated Napoleon in the battle of 
Waterloo. Among the great writers of the period were the 

. Scotch poet, Robert Burns, and the famous novel- 

England ist, Sir Walter Scott. The union of England and 
and Ireland. j re ] anc j occurred in 1800, but Ireland was not ad- 
mitted on the independent footing that had been given to 
Scotland. 

George rv. During the reign of George IV, an event occurred 
1820-1830. f great importance to England, and eventually to 
the whole world. A clever engineer named George Stephen- 
First steam son ' a ^ er much study and labor, constructed a 
railway. locomotive, and built the first steam railway in the 
world's history. 

In the reign of the next king, William IV, Parliament was 
made more truly representative of the people than it had ever 
William IV. been before, and many important reform laws for 
1830-1837. the benefit of the people were enacted, for Eng- 
land had passed at last into the era of democracy. The long 
victoria. reign of the good Queen Victoria, who succeeded 
1837-1901. William, was especially notable for its reforms. 
Among these were laws more favorable to Ireland, which 
had suffered for so many years from the harsh treatment 
of English landlords. William E. Gladstone, the great leader 



INTRODUCTION xxxv 

of the English Liberal party, tried several times to have 
enacted a bill for Home Rule for Ireland, but was The harsh 

unsuccessful treatment of 

unsuccesMui. Ireland is 

England also made additions to her vast empire in lessened, 
this reign. She acquired large portions of central Africa, and 
by winning the Boer War she gained possession of The Empire 
the Transvaal in South Africa. Queen Victoria Jj^,,. ex _ 
died in 190 1, after the longest reign in English panded. 
history, and was succeeded by the present king, Edward VII. 

The Victorian Age (as the reign of Queen Victoria is 
called) occupied the larger portion of the nineteenth century. 
It stands out as the greatest of all ages, — for it had Greatness 
all the wisdom and all the mistakes of the past to ofthevic- 
guide it. It was an age of wonderful literature, and l n ge * 
of still more wonderful discoveries in science. Among its 
great writers were the poets Tennyson and Browning, and 
the novelists, Thackeray, Dickens, and George Eliot. It saw 
the marvelous development of electricity, of the railway, the 
telegraph, the telephone, the phonograph, and photography, 
and it saw countless discoveries and inventions which have 
made life safer, more comfortable, and more pleasant for 
everybody. And now at the beginning of the twentieth cen- 
tury, England and the whole world is at the threshold of a 
still more wonderful age. For all the people are enjoying 
greater liberties than ever before, and the spirit of kindness 
and of human brotherhood among all classes is growing 
stronger every day. 



THE BRITISH ISLES 



CHAPTER I 

THE VOYAGE 

Crossing the Atlantic — Size of Boats — Leaving the Dock — The Pilot — New 
York Harbor — Speed — Rooms of Passengers — Games — Sitting on Deck — 
Colors of the Ocean — Dining-Saloon — Change of Time — The Captain — Bells 
— Dangers — Routes — Smokestacks — Consumption of Coal — Stokers — Dol- 
phins — Porpoises — Whales — Birds — Distance of the Horizon — Storms at 
Sea — First Sight of Land — Queenstown Harbor. 

In this little book we are to accompany a party of 
American boys and girls and their parents on a visit to 
the British Isles. As long as these young people can re- 
member, "Old England," " Old Ireland," and "Bonnie 
Scotland " have been familiar words to them ; in fact, 
their own ancestors came from these very countries. And 
now they are to have the long-wished-for opportunity of 
actually seeing these lands. 

The voyage they will make, however, will not be very 
much like the voyages that their ancestors made. Sixty 
years ago, most of the boats were sailing vessels, and the 
people who came to America on them suffered more than 
we can realize to-day. The voyage was long, continuing 
several weeks. Sometimes the food gave out, or the sup- 
ply of water failed ; sometimes wild storms at sea broke 
the masts or tore the sails, when the vessels might drift 
for days, even if they did not go down. 

How different it all is to-day ! Now the boats are driven 
by steam, and some of them are so fast that less than a 
week is required for the voyage. There is enough food on 
board to last for many days, and the ships are like great 



2 THE VOYAGE 

floating hotels. The voyage is also much safer now. We 
are told that more lives are lost on trolley-cars than on 
Atlantic liners. 

The liners are huge ships made of iron or steel. The 
largest of them are almost a thousand feet long, and have 
as many as eight decks, with elevators to carry passengers 
from one deck to another. A passenger on one of these 
mammoth vessels said not long ago, " I do not like the big 
boats because I lose my way on them, and cannot find the 
deck where my room is." The largest and swiftest ships 
are the most expensive to travel on, and for this reason 
many prefer the smaller boats ; but even these are not 
very small. 

One may sail for Europe from Boston, or Philadelphia, 
or New York ; but the party with whom we are to travel 
is to sail from New York, on one of the medium-sized 
boats, — one that is seven hundred feet in length and 
seventy-five feet from one side of the deck to the other. 
The passengers have all been assigned to one of the 
three classes, — first-cabin, second-cabin, and steerage. 
As our boat has a full list, there are about four hundred 
of the first-cabin, three hundred of the second, and per- 
haps a thousand of the steerage ; including the officers 
and crew, there are more than two thousand people on 
board, — more than live in many a village ! 

The very minute that our vessel is scheduled to sail, 
she begins to move out of her slip in charge of a pilot, 
who is to direct her course down the harbor. It is an ex- 
citing moment. On the crowded pier, hats and hands and 
handkerchiefs are waved at the departing travelers; and 
we, in company with throngs of other people on the deck, 
wave in response. 

As soon as the steamer is free from the dock, her 
speed is increased. We make our way down the harbor, 



THE START 3 

past the famous " sky-scrapers " of New York, past the 
majestic statue of Liberty holding her torch aloft, past 
Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Coney Island. As we steam 




LEAVING THE DOCK 



by Sandy Hook, the boys try to get a glimpse of the huge 
guns which they have heard can send a cannon-ball seven 
miles out to sea ; but it is only a glimpse, for most of the 
guns are hidden from sight. 

After Sandy Hook has been left behind, our course is 
changed and the vessel is headed easterly, in the direc- 
tion of the Banks of Newfoundland. There is a brief 
stop to enable the pilot to clamber over the rail and de- 
scend the swaying rope-ladder to the yawl which is to 
bear him away from the vessel. 

" The next stop is Oueenstown ! " one excited small 
boy shouts, and all who hear him smile in sympathy, 
and hope his words will prove to be true. 



4 THE VOYAGE 

Pretty soon we are racing along under full steam ; if 
there is no mishap, a speed that varies from twelve to 
twenty-five knots l an hour will be kept up day and night, 
in fair weather or in storm, till we dock on the other 
side of the ocean. 

Meanwhile, most of the boys and many of the girls 
have become familiar with all parts of the §hip. Length- 
wise within the ship are narrow little hall-ways, that in 
some boats extend the length of the deck, and along 
these are the staterooms, or cabins. What little rooms 
they are, — only about eleven feet square ! On one side 
of each room are two small beds or berths, one above the 
other, and on the opposite side is a couch. These, to- 
gether with the tiny clothes-press and wash-stand, do not 
leave very much vacant space ; but the rooms are beauti- 
fully finished, and are well lighted by two windows that 
open upon the deck, if the rooms are " outside." The 
cabin, and in fact the whole boat, is well equipped with 
lights and bells. 

We do not, however, use our cabins very much except 
for sleeping, for we spend most of the time in fair wea- 
ther on deck, where, if we like, we can play games of 
various kinds, such as shuffle-board, ring-toss, tether-ball, 
and even deck-golf. In the steamer-chairs, placed in a 
long row from one end of the deck to the other, passen- 
gers can almost always be found sitting, - — perhaps 
wrapped in rugs, if the weather is cool, — reading, talk- 
ing with their neighbors, or watching the restless, chang- 
ing water. Some days the sea will be as blue as the sky ; 
again, when the wind veers or clouds appear, it may 
change to a vivid green, and the rolling waves will be 
tipped with white. The most wonderful of all the impres- 

1 A knot is a nautical mile, — a little longer than an ordinary 
mile- 



ON SHIPBOARD 



sions of the ocean, however, is that which a boy once 
voiced wfc 
is of it ! " 



voiced when he said, "I can't get over how much there 




ON DECK 

In the evening, and in stormy weather, many of the 
passengers assemble in the music room or the par- 
lors, which are handsomely furnished ; the library and 
writing-room will attract others. The dining-saloon, how- 
ever, is the common meeting-place. The long tables 
here are fastened to the floor, and the chairs revolve, 
but cannot be removed. Racks are placed along the 
edges of the tables, to prevent the dishes from slip- 
ping to the floor when the ship is tossing in a heavy 
sea. 

Before we have been long at sea, we are compelled to 
change the time of our watches. Every night, at mid- 
night, the ship's clock is set ahead a half hour or more, 
so that the time on board will be the correct time in that 



6 THE VOYAGE 

part of the world. London time is more than five hours 
earlier than that of New York. As the earth revolves on 
its axis from west to east, London sees the sun long be- 
fore it appears to the people of New York. 




IN THE CABIN 

The captain of our ship is a strong man, with a 
weather-beaten face. He has supreme command on ship- 
board, and can even arrest people and confine them in 
their rooms if they do not obey the rules. Although there 
are several other officers, the captain is the one in whose 
charge the boat is placed, and in a storm or fog he must 
stay on the bridge day and night to see that all is well. 
In fair weather, he often comes on deck and talks to the 
passengers, and he shows his interest in our party by 
answering the many questions which we wish to ask. Just 



THE CAPTAIN 7 

now he approaches us, and the usual volley of questions 
begins. 

"Where was this boat built?" asks one of the boys. 

"At Belfast," replies the captain. 

"How long did it take to build it?" 

"Two years." - 

"How much freight is there on board?" 

"We can carry twenty -four thousand tons." 

Just then, five strokes of a bell are heard. 

"Captain! What is that bell?" cries one of the girls. 

"That is our clock," laughs the captain. "Twelve 
o'clock, four, and eight are each 'eight bells.' When 
that has been struck, one bell is struck at the end of the 
next half hour, two at the second, three at the third, and 
so on, until eight have been sounded, and then we begin 
again." 

"Then, five bells is half-past two!" a boy exclaims 
triumphantly. 

"What are the greatest dangers on a voyage?" asks 
a rather timid girl. 

"Fog and fire. You remember how foggy it was when 
we were passing the Banks of Newfoundland. Sometimes 
we run into a fog there that lasts for days, and we have 
to set our whistle so that it will blow once every minute." 

"What causes the fog?" 

"As you know, cold air cannot hold so much moisture 
as warm air. Therefore, when the warm, moist air over 
the Gulf Stream (which has been flowing northward 
through the Atlantic) meets the cold winds blowing from 
the north and becomes chilled by them, its moisture is 
condensed in the form of mist or fog." 

"Did you ever run into another boat in a fog?" 

" No ; but once, off the Banks, we came so close to a 
fishing schooner that we could have tossed a coin on to 



THE VOYAGE 



her deck. Usually, however, there is not very much danger 
of collision, for every year the officials of the various lines 
meet and arrange just what course every boat shall take, 
going and coming." 

"Exactly the same course, — like a trolley-track?" 
asks one of the boys quickly. 

" As nearly as we can make it, though sometimes the 
storms keep us out of the exact course. If each ship 
holds to her course, there is really little danger on the 
Atlantic. Whatever might happen, we ought to be able 
to keep the boat afloat, and our chart shows us where 
other boats are likely to be, so that we can get help by 
sending a Marconigram to them. Wireless telegraphy 
has made ocean-going very much safer than it used 
to be." 

"What is the diameter of those big round smoke- 
stacks ?" asks another boy. 

" They are not 
round, although they 
appear to be. They 
are seventeen feet one 
way and eleven feet 
the other. If they 
were flat on the 
ground, you could 
drive a team of horses 
right through them." 
" You must burn 
a tremendous amount 
of coal ! " exclaims a 
boy. 

' " About two hun- 
dred and sixty tons a 
the smokestacks day," replies the cap- 




IN MID-OCEAN 9 

tain. " We usually coal up for a round trip, taking on 
about six thousand tons." 

"Who looks after the fires ? " 

" The stokers feed the fires, and we have ' trimmers ' 
and other workers besides." 

"The stoking must be very hot and hard work." 

" It is. The men work in gangs of eight for four 
hours, and then have eight hours off." 

" Are passengers allowed to go down and see the en- 
gines ? " inquires a boy eagerly. 

"Yes," replies the captain, with a smile. "You shall 
see the place where we get our 13,500 horse power to 
drive the ship." 

We thank the captain for his courtesy as he passes 
on, and our attention is next drawn to a school of por- 
poises playing in the water near the ship. Indeed, al- 
most every day of the voyage dolphins or porpoises are 
seen, rolling in the water, or leaping from wave to wave 
very much as boys dive, and they appear to enjoy it, 
too, almost as much as boys enjoy the sport. One day, a 
whale is seen far out on the ocean, and, when it spouts, 
a column of water is plainly visible. 

We are much interested, also, in noting the birds that 
follow the ship. Even in mid-ocean, fifteen hundred miles 
from either shore, birds are to be seen following us still, 
— the circling gulls or swiftly flying Mother Carey's 
chickens. How it is possible for a bird to fly so long and 
so far from shore is puzzling, but an old sailor explains 
that the birds occasionally rest on the water, and some 
of them even come and perch on the masts. Only a few 
days before, he had seen a little land-bird alight on the 
deck when the ship was a thousand miles from shore, 
and he said it had probably been blown out to sea by a 
storm from the coast of Ireland. All the sailors are kind 



10 



THE VOYAGE 




AT SEA 



to the wearied little creatures, and believe it is bad luck 
not to feed them. 

We are surprised when we learn that " out of sight of 
land " does not mean any great distance from the shore. 
From the deck it is not possible to see farther than from 
five to eight miles. Up in the " crow's nest," — the bas- 
ket-like contrivance high on the foremast, in which, night 
and day, one or two sailors are stationed to keep watch, 
— one can see farther ; but the horizon is not nearly so 
far away as it seems to be. 

A storm at sea is one of the grandest sights in all the 
world, and if the boat is in mid-ocean, there is really 
very little danger. When the storm is at its height, the 
great billows seem to be racing as if they were trying to 
see which could be first to reach the ship and strike it 
hardest. Sometimes the bow is under a huge mass of 
water, and then the " whir " of the propeller can be felt 
when the stern of the boat is lifted high in the air. The 
howling of the wind, the roar of the sea, and the rolling 



LAND AGAIN 



u 




AN OCEAN BILLOW 



of the ship terrify some of the passengers, but others 
enjoy it all. The ship pitches and rolls so that a person 
who tries to walk staggers almost like a drunken man ; 
but the boat was built to meet such experiences, and she 
"behaves" well. When the storm has passed, nearly all 
the passengers are glad that they have seen it, although 
a few of them prefer never to see another. 

On the seventh day of the voyage, all on board are 
greatly excited when it is known that the southwest 
coast of Ireland has been sighted. The hills on the far- 
away shore at first appear like masses of clouds, but as 
we draw nearer and nearer, they rise before us, green 
and beautiful, — a refreshing sight after our week on the 
wide ocean. 

Ireland is one of more than five thousand islands which 
together form the British Isles, or the United Kingdom 
of Great Britain and Ireland. These islands lie on the 
eastern border of the Atlantic, nearly three thousand 
miles northeast of the United States. Many of them are 



12 THE VOYAGE 

mere rocks that barely rise above the surface of the sea. 
We are to devote by far the greater portion of our trip 
to visiting the largest of them, — Great Britain (which in- 
cludes England, Scotland, and Wales) and Ireland. Great 
Britain is but a little larger than Minnesota, and Ireland 
is about the same size as Maine or South Carolina. 

The people who have lived on these islands have been 
the greatest sailors, explorers, and colonizers ever known, 
and to-day they have the largest fleets and navy the world 
has ever seen. There is no nation in the world with 
which we do so much business as with the United King- 
dom, nor do the British Isles have so great commercial 
relations with any other nation as with us. Then, too, the 
inhabitants of Great Britain had more to do with set- 
tling the United States, making her early laws, establish- 
ing her schools and colleges, and building her churches, 
than the people of any other nation. 

We shall be greatly interested, then, in traveling 
through these islands and in learning, by observation, 
about the people who inhabit them ; who they are ; how 
they live ; what they produce ; the causes and means of 
their success ; their cities, farms, mines, and mills ; their 
government, schools, and colleges ; their railways and 
canals; and their battle-fields and castles. 

Oueenstown Harbor, which we are now approaching, 
is very beautiful, with its ten square miles of water, so deep 
that the largest vessels can safely enter. On the hills, 
one on each side, keeping guard over the city and its 
harbor, stand two great forts. Our ship does not enter 
the harbor, but stops just outside, and two tenders — 
sidewheel steamers, the America and the Ireland — come 
alongside to receive the passengers, the baggage, and 
the mails for Ireland. More than an hour is required for 
this transfer, and while the boat is waiting, bright Irish 



QUEENSTOWN 13 

boys come on board to sell newspapers. These papers are 
eagerly bought, for they bring us the first real news of 
what the world has been doing during the week we have 
been on the ocean, Soon our ship resumes her voyage, 
and when she next stops, we shall be in Liverpool, where 
we are to begin our travels in the British Isles. 

QUESTIONS 

From what ports in the United States can you sail for the 
British Isles ? 

At what places in the United Kingdom can you land ? 

What is the distance from New York to Liverpool ? How 
long is the voyage ? In what directions do you go ? 

What are ocean currents ? Where on your voyage are you 
most likely to find fogs ? What is the cause of the fogs ? 

How is the route or course of your boat determined? 

Mention three reasons why the people of the United States 
are interested in the British Isles. 

Does England ship more goods to the United States than 
she receives from us ? Give a reason for your answer. 

If you do not change the time of your watch during your 
voyage, will your watch be slow or fast when you arrive in 
London ? How much ? Why ? How is time reckoned on ship- 
board? 

What land will you first see ? 

Where is Queenstown ? Why does your boat stop there ? 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

Imagining yourself two hundred miles at sea, write a Mar- 
conigram to a friend on shore and another to one on another 
boat. Tell how each message will be sent and received. 

Write a brief description of a voyage across the Atlantic 
sixty years ago. 

Write a brief description of a voyage across the Atlantic 
to-day. 



CHAPTER II 



FIRST VIEWS OF ENGLAND 



Liverpool — The Mersey — Docks — Foreign Trade — Customs — Trolley- 
Cars — Signboards — English Money — Canals, Railways, and Steamships — 
Nearby Industries (Mining, Cotton, and Woolen Manufacturing) — Other Indus- 
tries — Streets, Parks, Museums, and Colleges — Manchester — Contrast between 
the North of England and the South — English Names in America — Birken- 
head. 

It is early in the morning when we come on deck 
again, for the run through St. George's Channel from 
Queenstown to Liverpool has taken all night. While we 

slept we have been 



A 



speeding past the 
rugged coast of 
Wales, and now, far 
away on our right, 
we have a good view 
of its high hills and 
deep bays. On the 
water all about us are 
many little sailboats 
with dun-colored sails. 
The men on board 
these vessels are 
plainly as much in- 
terested in the great 
steamer as are her 
many passengers, 
crowding about the 
rails, in the strange 
sights they see. But 
there are no salutes from one boat to another, nor does 
the whistle greet even the huge boats that are starting 




Wl 



AN OCEAN STEAMER IN DRY-DOCK 
Showing the propellers 



ON THE MERSEY 



on their way back across the Atlantic. The people of 
England are much more quiet in their ways than Ameri- 



cans. 



At last we enter the mouth of the river Mersey, the 
port of the great city of Liverpool. Here we see a vast 
number of ships entering or leaving the harbor, — many, 
perhaps, starting for South America or Africa, — for Liv- 
erpool has a larger export trade than any other city in 
the British Isles. A great many little tugs are darting 
about, and there are tiny canal-boats which have made 
their way down the narrow canals that enter the Mersey. 
Noisy steam dredges are working away to prevent the 
long sand-bars in the mouth of the Mersey from choking 
up the river, and we are told that they are working this 




VERPOOL 



way almost constantly. High on the banks are forts to 
protect the city, with its great harbor and its ships, 
from a foreign enemy in time of war. 

" What wonderful docks!" we cannot help exclaim- 
ing, as the steamer now approaches its landing stage. 



16 FIRST VIEWS OF ENGLAND 

These docks, like those in all the English harbors, are 
not of wood, as most of those in our own harbors are, but 
of stone, solid and lasting. In Liverpool there are nearly 
forty miles of " quays " as the English people call them, 
and of floating docks there are nine miles ! The latter 
are so built that they rise and fall with the tides ; but 
when we look at them we can scarcely distinguish them 
from the quay itself to which they are made fast. We 
see the need of such docks when we learn that Liverpool 
has a yearly foreign trade that exceeds in value more 
than a billion dollars, sending out one third of all the 
exports and receiving more than one third of the imports 
of the United Kingdom. 

On the dock there is the usual crowd to welcome in- 
coming travelers, and among them are agents for the 
railroads who come on board to ^sell tickets to London 
and other cities. Before the people go ashore, long 
chutes are adjusted to the boat, clown which the trunks 
and bags are sent in a steady stream. Every piece of 
baggage has on it the initials of its owner, and as soon 
as the pieces reach the dock they are taken and arranged 
in order in the custom-house. If a person's name chances 
to be " Black,"' he must look for his trunk in the baggage 
which has been collected under a huge " B." If his name 
is " Jones," he will find his belongings under the letter 
" J." Before he is free to take it, however, he may be 
requested to open his trunk and permit the customs 
officers to see what it contains ; and if he has any sweets, 
spirits, perfumery, or other taxable articles, he must first 
pay the duty. Most articles, however, are not taxed as 
they are in America, for Great Britain is largely a free- 
trade country. 

At last we are free to leave the station. Some of our 
party enter cabs and are driven at once to a hotel. The 



LIVERPOOL 




THE END OF THE VOYAGE 



cabbies do not make a babel of noise as they do in New 
York, and it is good to find that the fare is very much 
cheaper than at home. Some of us, however, prefer to 
ride on one of the strange-looking trolley-cars, which 
have seats upstairs as well as downstairs. We climb the 
little circular steps and secure seats outside, where we 
can have the air and see all that is going on. 

Liverpool is plainly a very smoky and a very busy 
place, and we are surprised to find how much like an 
American city it appears. Yet before reaching our hotel 
we see that in many ways it is quite different. To begin 
with, our fare is only a penny, or two cents in American 
money, for in England one pays according to the distance 



18 FIRST VIEWS OF ENGLAND 

one rides. The conductor who receives the coin punches 
a ticket which he hands back to the passenger. In 
reply to our question about these tickets, we are told 
that an inspector may at any time enter the car to col- 
lect the tickets, and if a passenger does not have one he 
will have to pay his fare again. 

On our ride, we hear the elevated railroad spoken of 
as the "overhead"; we make out, from signs over the 
doorways, that a "booking office" is a ticket office; and 
that a "fruiterer and greengrocer" is a dealer in fruits 
and vegetables. We are astonished, also, to see foot- 
passengers turning to the left instead of to the right, 
and we wonder if we can ever get used to so queer 
a custom. 

We know, of course, that American money must first 
be changed into the coin of the realm before it will be 
of any use to us in England. So after we are comfort- 
ably settled in our hotel, in which we already have en- 
gaged rooms by telegraph, we diligently put our minds 
to the problem of learning English money. 

"Twelve pence make a shilling, twenty shillings make 
a pound," we repeat glibly. As an English penny is equal 
to about two American cents, we conclude, for conven- 
ience, that a shilling is worth about a quarter. We find, 
too, that practically we can call a pound about five dol- 
lars, and a sixpence twelve and a half cents. 

We are greatly surprised to learn that the English 
use very little paper money. The Bank of England issues 
notes for five pounds and for greater amounts, but that 
is all. We shall use for money, the crown, — the largest 
silver piece, — equal to five shillings ; the silver half- 
crown ; the florin, or two-shilling piece ; the shilling; the 
sixpence, and the three-penny piece. The copper coins 
are the penny, the halfpenny (which is commonly called 



ENGLISH MONEY 



19 




LIVERPOOL FROM THE LANDING STAGE 



the "ha'penny"), and the farthing, though one does not 
see many of the last. The larger gold pieces, we are 
told, are pounds or sovereigns, and the smaller are half- 
pounds. The guinea, which is worth twenty-one shillings, 
we find is no longer in circulation, though the word is 
still used in trade. 

Long practice makes the English skillful in counting 
their money. We are surprised when, in going through 
Liverpool shops, we see how rapidly the clerks add the 
columns of pounds, shillings, and pence. An English- 
man, however, said to us one day : " The American and 
French systems of money are simpler than ours and 
more easily learned. I have no doubt our boys are kept 
longer in school than they would be if our money were 
not so difficult to learn. Still, I like our coin better than 
I do your paper money. The paper money becomes 
filthy after it has passed through many hands." 

It is true that American bank notes sometimes are 



20 FIRST VIEWS OF ENGLAND 

not very clean, but one day, after we have seen a man 
counting a great pile of British coins, we think that even 
gold and silver are not always cleaner than our bills. 
This man had his coat off and his sleeves were rolled up. 
His hands and wrists were black from handling the money. 

After we have spent several days in Liverpool, we 
find how big, and busy, and wonderful a place it is. Next 
to London, it is the largest city in England. A network 
of canals enters it at the mouth of the Mersey, and it is 
also a terminus of several important railway systems. Its 
steamship lines connect it with almost every harbor in 
the United Kingdom, and its steamers depart for almost 
every country in the world. Wheat is even brought with- 
out change from Duluth, Minnesota, which is itself two 
thousand miles from the ocean. Within a radius of fifty 
miles of Liverpool there is a great population of more 
than three million, largely engaged in manufacturing 
cotton, iron, and steel. A great many people also work 
in the numerous coal and salt mines not far away, which 
we will later visit. All these people must be fed, and all 
the goods they make must be sold, and Liverpool is the 
port for it all. 

Cotton manufacturing is the most important industry 
of Great Britain, which produces two thirds of the world's 
output of cotton goods, most of the raw cotton being 
brought from America. Situated a little northeast of 
Liverpool, on the river Irwell, and second to Liver- 
pool in size, is Manchester, the great centre of the cot- 
ton industry. Its damp climate, for an abundance of 
moisture is needed to make the finest cotton, enables 
Manchester to manufacture vast quantities of cotton 
goods. At Nottingham and other places not far from 
Liverpool cotton hosiery and cotton lace are made. As 
cotton machinery naturally is made where cotton machines 



INDUSTRIES 21 

are used, great quantities are manufactured in Man- 
chester, and nearby cities, and shipped from Liverpool. 

Next in importance to the cotton trade of Liverpool 
is her trade in woolen goods, for not far away are Leeds 
and Leicester, which are centres of the woolen industry. 
Each year the United Kingdom raises thirty million 
sheep, but even that number cannot supply her with the 
wool she requires, and so she has to import large quan- 
tities from Australia, and also from South America, 
Germany, and other countries. 

Besides these industries that centre in Liverpool, the 
coal, glass, soap, paper, leather, sugar, and other industries 
of neighboring regions have also added to the volume 
of the city's trade. But the city is more than a mere 
port, for it has its own grain mills, sugar refineries, rope 
factories, iron and steel works. Like every English city, 
also, it has a public art gallery, a free library and museum, 

m. .- 1. 




AN ENGLISH LOCOMOTIVE 

and many parks. It has also its university, and its beautiful 
monuments and churches ; but the strongest impression 
that we carry away with us is of its enormous commerce 
and its great docks. 

Dirty, smoky Manchester is our next stopping-place. 
How narrow its streets look when seen from the car 
windows ! And how the smoke of its factories has dark- 
ened its stone and brick buildings ! Even the little river 



22 FIRST VIEWS OF ENGLAND 

Irwell, which empties near here into the Mersey, is dark 
and forbidding. This first view is far from attractive. 
However, we remember that this town is, next to Lon- 
don, the greatest manufacturing city in the British Isles. 
It is the refuse of the many mills that has so discolored 
the waters of the Irwell. The great Manchester Canal 
enables the large ocean steamers to come up to its docks, 
and so brings the city directly in contact with the ports 
of the world. 

It was at Manchester that steam was first used (in 1789) 
as the power to turn the wheels in the cotton mills. It was 
here, too, seventy years ago, that the cotton printer, Rich- 
ard Cobden, founded what is known as the Manchester 
School, a political party that helped to repeal the unjust 
corn laws, and so make bread cheap and trade free. As 
we walk through the streets and parks of Manchester, we 
notice the large number of fine statues, and we like es- 
pecially that of the Duke of Wellington, the conqueror 
of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. We of course go 
to see the red brick grammar school, near the Victoria 
University of Manchester, where Thomas De Quincey, 
the noted author, was once a pupil. We also visit the art 
museums, the town hall (called the largest and most 
remarkable town hall in Europe), some of the libraries, 
as well as other buildings which show that even here 
life is not all given up to work. 

The people of Manchester, like those of most of the 
cities and villages in northern England, believe that a 
man is of value in proportion to the work he does. In 
the South of England, the best life is thought to be that 
of the country gentleman. To have a beautiful house on 
a large estate, with many tenants to till the land ; to be 
free to ride and hunt and entertain many visitors, and 
to have time to read, — this, in southern England, is 



NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN ENGLAND 23 

looked upon as the ideal life. There, one does not find 
busy men or humming mills. In politics, too, the same 
party may continue in power indefinitely, and men seldom 
vote any other ticket than the one they have before 
supported. 

In the North it is very different. Here, the people 
will vote for a certain man at one election, and at the 
very next election may vote for his rival. Here, men toil 
from morning till night, and business is the great aim of 
life. Here, we find the mines and manufactories of Eng- 
land; and here, the frequent changes in public opinion and 
politics which always go with the spirit of enterprise. 
Which part of England is more like America ? 

We also find, before our trip through England is ended, 
that the difference between northern and southern Eng- 
land may be seen in the language, and especially in the 
names of places. The distinction is most noticeable in 
the final syllables. In the North, we find such names as 
Rugby and Whitby, names left by the Danes, who lived 
here long ago ; while in the South, we find such names 
as Plymouth and Portsmouth, a legacy from the Saxons, 
a very different kind of people, who came to Britain 
some time before the Danes. It is interesting to recall 
that the names of many American cities were taken by 
emigrants from towns in England. Thus we know that 
places called Dover, Salisbury, Bristol, and Plymouth 
were settled by people from the South of England, 
while Derby, Chester, Manchester, Birmingham, York, 
and Worcester were so named by people who came 
from the North of England. 

In northern England there is much more than we 
have time to see just now, for we are to turn directly 
south, and proceed to London through the Midlands. 
Later we shall travel northward again by the Great 



24 FIRST VIEWS OF ENGLAND 

Eastern Railway. Having returned to Liverpool, we cross 
to Birkenhead, some of us going by the tunnel under 
the river, and others crossing on the quaint little ferry- 
boats. Birkenhead is as large as Worcester, Massachu- 
setts. It has great docks covering 165 acres. Where so 
many ships and so much shipping come from is puzzling 
until we remember that, of the steam tonnage of the 
whole world, Great Britain has more than half, and of 
the sailing tonnage she has nearly one third. 

QUESTIONS 

For what is Liverpool best known ? On what river is it 
situated ? 

Why does England have so many canals ? 

Mention some differences between English and American 
money. 

What is the foremost industry of England ? Why ? 

What causes have made Liverpool and Manchester great ? 

Where do Manchester and Nottingham obtain their cotton ? 

Why does England manufacture cotton goods ? 

Mention three differences between the people of the North 
and the South of England. 

Mention five American cities having the same names as 
English cities. Locate each. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

Write a letter stating what most impressed you during your 
visit in Liverpool. 

What four effects have the location of the British Isles had 
upon the British nation ? Compare these with four effects 
which the location of the United States has had upon our 
people. 

Write a letter to an Englishman explaining how cotton he 
has purchased in Georgia can be sent to Manchester. 



CHAPTER III 



OLD PLACES AND NEW 



A Ride on the Railway — Cars — Locomotives — Speed — Luggage — Chester 

— Ancient Walls — A Walk on the Walls — Charles I — Roman Ruins — 
Cricket and Bowling — River Dee — The Cathedral — Home of Gladstone — 
The Palace of a Duke — The Ride to Birmingham — English Stations — Bir- 
mingham — "Model Villages " — Why Chiefly Small Articles are Manufactured 

— Nearby Cities. 

From Birkenhead we are to go by rail to the ancient 
town of Chester, not far to the southward. We soon 
learn that the railway cars, or "carriages," as they are 
called, are divided into compartments, separated into 
" first," "second," and "third" "classes," according to 
price and furnishings, the first-class compartment being, 
of course, the most ex- 
pensive and the best fur- 
nished. The difference 
between the classes of 
compartments is, how- 
ever, chiefly one of up- 
holstery,and wefind that 
the second-class com- 
partment is almost, if 
not quite, as comfortable 
as the first-class. Both 
the carriages and the 
locomotives are much 
smaller than those in America, and the tracks on some 
roads are narrow gauge. We notice with surprise that 
many of the freight cars are open, the cargo being cov- 
ered with sailcloth to protect it from the rain. 

If there are enough people in a party to fill a com- 
partment, traveling in England is very pleasant ; but if 




AN ENGLISH RAILWAY COM- 
PARTMENT 



26 OLD PLACES AND NEW 

a person is alone and must find his seat in a compart- 
ment with strangers, it is not as pleasant as the arrange- 
ment in the United States. Fortunately, we are able to 
secure two compartments for our party. Not long after 
we nave taken our seats, the "guard," or ticket-collector, 
passes along the station platform calling at the door of 
each carriage for the tickets. These station guards take 
the place of conductors, usually collecting the tickets 
either at the station where the passenger enters, or at 
the one where he alights. 

At the ringing of a bell, followed by a shrill little 
whistle from the locomotive, the train starts, and is 
soon moving at an amazing speed, — almost a mile a 
minute. Although we dart so swiftly through the many 
little towns on our route, there is slight danger of acci- 
dent, as the tracks are elevated. Fewer people are killed 
on the railways in England than in America, mainly 
because in England walking on the track, or boarding 
a train after it has started, is punishable by fine or 
imprisonment. 

In half an hour our train rolls into the Chester station. 
We enter the 'bus which is to convey us to our hotel, 
but are delayed in starting until one of the party has 
claimed every piece of our baggage (or "luggage," as 
the English call it), which has been left standing on the 
platform. In place of baggage checks, a small slip of 
paper is pasted on each piece of baggage, bearing the 
name of our destination, Chester. Like us, every one 
else is engaged in securing his own property and finding 
a porter with a truck to carry it to a 'bus or cab. 

On the way to the hotel, we notice some farmers 
driving huge pigs along the street, which at once remind 
us that we are in Cheshire County, whose swine and 
cheese, as well as cats, are famous all over the world. 



ROMAN RUINS 



^7 



Chester, on the river Dee, the capital of Cheshire, is 
a strange mingling of the new and the very old ; for, as 
early as 60 A. d. the Romans had a camp here which 
they called Deva, meaning "the camp on the Dee." All 




ROMAN RUINS AT CHESTER 

around the city runs a high wall following the line of 
that which the old Romans built. Along its top is a 
celebrated walk, two miles long, which we decide to 
take immediately upon our arrival, mounting to it by 
steps which we find by the side of one of the old gates. 
As we walk along, we notice that houses and stores 
have been built out here and there upon one part of the 
old wall, giving a strange appearance. From the towers 
which rise at frequent intervals, we stop to look over 
the ancient valley where the Romans, Danes, Saxons, 
and others have come and gone, one after another. One 
of the boys, on reading some printed words on a window 
in one of these towers, exclaims, " I am standing on the 
very spot where King Charles the First stood and saw 



28 



OLD PLACES AND NEW 



his army on those moors yonder defeated by the army 

of Cromwell ! " 

A little farther on, we visit the ruins of an old Roman 

bath, after which we stop to look down on a party of 

girls playing cricket in a 
neighboring field. Eng- 
lish girls are all fond of 
outdoor sports, and their 
rosy cheeks bear wit- 
ness to the games of ten- 
nis, hockey, "fives," and 
"squash" which they 
enjoy. We are next in- 
terested in watching a 
group of young men 
bowling on a lawn in the 
rear of a large house. It 
seems to us that all Eng- 
land lives out of doors. 
Soon the picturesque, 

tumbling waters of the river Dee are seen, and we stop 

again to watch several men with rods, wading up the 

stream fishing. 

"What have I heard about the Dee?" inquires one 

of the boys. 

"Don't you remember the Sands o' Dee ? There was 

a miller here, too, who sang that he was perfectly happy. 

' I care for nobody, no not I, if nobody cares for me' " — 
"Yes, there was another miller here, too," breaks in 

one of the girls. " He is in a Mother Goose story : — 

' There was a jolly miller lived on the river Dee. 
He looked upon his pillow and there he saw a flea. 
Oh, Mr. Flea, you have been biting me, and you must die. 
Sohe crunched his bones upon the stones, and there he let him lie."' 




KING CHARLES'S TOWER 



THE HOME OF GLADSTONE 



29 



v 






- 


ttliU 


^•i 










W >:/-&*• ' 







THE RIVER DEE AT CHESTER 



In the afternoon, we start out to visit the great cathe- 
dral in the centre of the city. It is the time of afternoon 
service, and as we enter the long and lofty nave, we are 
greeted by a burst of music from the unseen boy choir. 
We gladly seat ourselves until the beautiful service is 
ended, when we proceed to inspect the noble building. 

The next day, a drive of eight miles brings us to Ha- 
vvarden Castle, once the home of Gladstone, the "Grand 
Old Man" of English history. This we enjoy, but a greater 
treat is in store for us, when we journey to Eaton Hall — 
the palace and residence of the richest man in all Eng- 
land, the young Duke of Westminster. 

Our ride to the estate is delightful. We travel leis- 
urely along a typical English road, hard and smooth as 
a floor. The air is fragrant with the odors from the green 
hedgerows, which everywhere take the place of fences, 
and from the flower gardens which surround every little 
cottage. The houses are nearly all of brick or stone (for 



3 o OLD PLACES AND NEW 

long ago timber became very scarce in England). 
Over their old gray or red walls, roses climb in profusion, 
and almost every window has its pots of gay flowers. 

The duke's estate comprises thirty-two thousand 
acres, including the park and gardens of Eaton Hall and 
the farms of the tenants. He has another estate of the 
same size in Wales, and also one in Scotland. Besides 
all this, he owns six hundred acres in the west of Lon- 
don — the very Houses of Parliament, it is said, paying 
him an annual ground rent for the land on which they 
stand. 

Not an acre of all these vast possessions is for sale. 
Some of the land is rented for a term of ninety-nine years, 
but it is all kept in the Duke's family. Indeed, the fact 
that so much of the land in England is owned by a few 
wealthy mert makes life harder for the young people, who 
cannot hope to buy a farm for themselves. In the cities, 
one frequently notices, among the real estate signs, the 
words, "free-hold," and "lease-hold," — the former mean- 
ing that the property can be purchased outright ; the 
latter, — much more commonly seen, — that it must be 
bought subject to the lease upon it. This lease may have 
many years to run, or it may have only a few years ; and 
the price will depend upon the time that remains before 
the lease expires, when the land and everything upon it, 
including whatever buildings may have been erected, will 
again be in the possession of its owner. 

As we drive through the grounds of Eaton Hall, we 
wonder at the acres of beautifully kept gardens, filled 
with choice flowers, at the extensive drives and walks in 
which a person might easily get lost, and at the great 
barns in which some of the finest horses in England are 
found. But the great palace itself, through which we are 
conducted by a guide, is most wonderful of all. Every 



THE PALACE OF A DUKE 



31 



visitor pays a shilling to enter, but the money is all given 
by the duke to the neighboring hospitals. Although 
forty thousand people visit the place every year, not one 
of these has done even the least damage to the property. 
Unlike many of the stately homes in England, Eaton 
Hall is new, although it stands on the spot where at dif- 




EATON HALL 

ferent times four great mansions have been erected and 
fallen into decay. We cross the great courts and pass 
through massive doors into the mansion. As we are led 
from one magnificent room to another, we are deeply in- 
terested when we are told that much of the beautiful wood 
in the panels and wainscoting was brought from Amer- 
ica. There are costly vases, soft rugs, carved tables, and 
quaint and massive chairs in every room ; while beautiful 
paintings by famous artists hang on the walls. In the 
immense library are paintings by the American artist, 
Benjamin West, in which, naturally, we are especially 
interested. 



32 OLD PLACES AND NEW 

In answer to the questions asked by some of the girls, 
our cheerful and talkative guide drops bits of information 
about the nobility, and members of the royal family who 
come here on great occasions; about the famous jewels 
of the women and their costly gowns; about the hunting 
parties, the riding and driving, and other amusements 
which may engage the time of these great personages ; 
and, as we listen, it sounds almost like a fairy tale ! We 
are amazed when we are told that nearly fifty house ser- 
vants are employed by the duke, fifty gardeners, fifty 
stable men, and so on ; altogether, nearly four hundred 
servants are employed on the estate. Some one asks if 
the young duke is really happier than the little family 
that dwells in one of the tiny cottages on the estate — a 
house so small that the people who live in it must be 
much crowded, and where the barn is so small that the 
hay must be stacked outside and covered with a thatch- 
work of straw to keep out the rain. What do you think 
about it? 

From Chester, we continue our journey southward 
until we arrive at Birmingham, one of the chief manufac- 
turing cities of England. On the ride through a country 
of rolling upland, we see beautiful hills cultivated almost 
to their tops. The fields and the farms, however, are all 
much smaller than those we usually see in the United 
States ; indeed, the whole land is so small compared with 
America that it seems to us almost like a toy country. 
As the brick and stone railway stations, each surrounded 
by its beds of flowers, fly past us, one of the girls ex- 
claims, " Everything seems to be built to last, and is made 
as beautiful as possible ! " With which we heartily agree, 
for she has spoken the feeling of every visitor to Eng- 
land. 

Now the train is entering Birmingham, and the smoky 






INDUSTRIES 33 

walls of the great factories and the many mill-yards re- 
mind us of some large manufacturing city in America. 
Birmingham is certainly not beautiful, but it is one of 
the busiest cities of England, and its six hundred thou- 
sand inhabitants have one of the best city governments 
in the world. On the outskirts of the city are several 
little "model villages" built by the manufacturers. In 
them it is possible for people who have not much money 
to build and own homes. All the increase in the value 
of the property belongs to the city itself, rather than to 
an individual owner. 

On account of the iron and coal mines not far away, 
the iron industry of Birmingham is very important. The 
articles manufactured, however, are chiefly small, because, 
as the city is not located on a river, all its freight must be 
carried by rail. A good part of our time in Birmingham 
is spent in visiting some of the great factories which 
produce, among other articles, pins, nails, needles, watch- 
springs, screws, pens, guns and rifles. During our Civil 
War, Birmingham sent many hundred thousands of rifles 
to the United States, and we find, too, that more bi- 
cycles are made here than in any other city in England. 
There are also many plants for the manufacture of rail- 
way supplies. 

Although Birmingham is, perhaps, the chief centre 
in the world for metallic wares, this fact has not pre- 
vented its enterprising citizens from being interested in 
many other things. The working people of this city 
have long been known for their independence and free- 
dom of thought. Their trades-unions are especially 
strong. The higher ideals of the city are expressed in a 
university, an art gallery, and some fine churches. What 
has been said regarding the industries and the people 
of Birmingham is true, in large measure, of Wolver- 



34 OLD PLACES AND NEW 

hampton, and of many other cities and towns in its 
vicinity. Almost every place is best known for its pro- 
duction of some special article. Location, climate, 
water, and means of transportation usually combine to 
determine what this is. 

QUESTIONS 

What are some of the differences between English and 
American railways ? 

Where is the Dee ? Describe its course. 

Mention the most interesting features of Chester. 

Why did the Romans come to Chester ? 

Why are so many small articles of steel or iron manufac- 
tured in Birmingham ? 

For what special traits are the people of Birmingham noted ? 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

A visit to a duke's estate. 

Describe a walk along an English country road. 
Look up and write a brief story of the life of Oliver Crom- 
well. 



CHAPTER IV 

CASTLES AND COLLEGES 

Counties — Rural England — Warwick — Old Wall — Streets, Houses, and 
Signs — St. Mary's Church — Where the Families of Washington and Franklin 
lived — Warwick Castle — Kenilworth Castle — Guy's Cliff — An English Sum- 
mer Resort — "The Left is the Right" — Shakespeare's House — Memorial 
Building — Anne Hathaway's Cottage — The Avon — Oxford — King Alfred — 
Oxford University — Dress of Students — Life and Games — Christ Church — 
Great Tom — Quadrangles — " Halls " for Women Students. 

One of the first lessons a traveler in England learns 
is that the country is divided into forty counties, the 
largest of which is Yorkshire in the northeastern part, 
and the smallest Rutlandshire in the eastern part. The 
former is a little larger than the State of Connecticut, 
and the latter is about twice the size of the District of 
Columbia. 

These counties correspond to our states rather than 
to the counties into which our states are divided. Each 
county has its county-town or capital, its courts, and a 
governing body called the County Council. As the Eng- 
lish people speak of "going up to Lancashire," or 
" down to Kent," much as we speak of going to Ohio or 
Florida, we must keep the counties in mind if we are to 
follow the boys and girls in their travels. 

" What counties have we been in already?" inquires 
one of the boys, after we are settled in the train speed- 
ing southward from Birmingham. 

" Lancashire, Cheshire, and Warwickshire," replies 
one of the party. " We have not seen much of the last, 
for Birmingham is just inside a corner of it ; all the rest 
is rural." 

" Are Scotland, Ireland, and Wales divided into coun- 
ties, too ? " asks another. 



36 



CASTLES AND COLLEGES 



"Yes, Ireland has thirty-two counties, and Scotland, 
which groups hers into the Counties of the Highlands, 
the Lowland Plains, and the Lowland Hills, has the 
same number. Wales has twelve counties." 

" Altogether, then, there are 1 16 counties in the Brit- 
ish Isles ? " 

" Yes, and we are now traveling in one of the most 
interesting — Warwickshire in the Midlands. On this 




ENGLISH SHEEP AND LAMBS 



ride we shall see what a large part of rural England 
looks like. See what beautiful roads there are ! Look at 
the quaint cottages with their thatched roofs ! And the 
sheep ! So many more than one sees in America ! And 
yet three sevenths of the wool used in England comes 
from Australia." 

" England raises a good many horses," remarks one 
of the boys, pointing to a drove that can be seen from 
the window. 



WARWICK 



37 



" But we do not see so many pigs as in our country," 
declares one of the girls. 

" No, not so many ; and yet the best hams and bacon 
in the world are raised here. England raises fewer 
sheep, horses, cattle, and pigs than some other countries, 
but what she does raise are among the best in the 
world." 

The train has now arrived at Warwick, the capital of 
Warwickshire, and the quaint old city and its people at 
once interest us. 

Warwick is indeed very, very old. It is still partly sur- 
rounded by the ancient wall that was built as far back as 
the ninth century. The 
old, old houses open di- 
rectly upon the narrow 
streets, and beside the 
door of each dwelling a 
bell and chain indicate 
the means by which a 
visitor may announce his 
presence. Strange signs 
over the doors of the 
shops and inns greet us 
as we walk along the 
streets. "Forage stores" 
indicates that hay and 
grain are for sale. ' A 
" Livery and Bait Sta- 
ble " invites people to 
feed their horses, and a 

" Coal Merchant and Haulier " promises to provide 
" coals." The names of the hotels are delightfully 
odd: "The Simple Briton," "The Green Man Inn," 
"Queen's Head," "Malt and Shovel," "Rose and Crown," 




THE EAST GATE, WARWICK 



38 CASTLES AND COLLEGES 

" Star and Garter." One of the girls reads aloud a rhyme 
which she has found in a London newspaper : — 

I 'm amused at the signs 

As I pass through the town. 
To see the odd mixture — 

A " Magpie and Crown," 
The " Whale and the Crow,'" 

The " Razor and Hen," 
The "Leg and Seven Stars," 

The " Scissors and Pen," 
The "Axe and the Bottle," 

The " Tun and the Lute," 
The " Eagle and Child," 

The " Shovel and Boot." 

Indeed, so quaint and old in every way is this English 
town that, as we walk about its streets, we seem to be 
living in another century. 

Of course we visit St. Mary's Church, in the crypt of 
which are the tombs of many famous men, and near 
which an old ducking stool, in which scolding women 
were tied and ducked, is still to be seen. From the bel- 
fry of this church the curfew bell was rung in the days 
when all England must be abed by nine o'clock. At the 
side of the chancel is a cell which was reserved for sol- 
diers who came home lepers from the crusades. It is 
pathetic to see the little hole in the wall through which 
they watched the service, — forbidden to be with their 
friends because they were "unclean." 

It is with the greatest interest that we learn that the 
family of George Washington came to America from 
Northamptonshire, a county adjoining Warwick, and that 
from there, also, came the ancestors of Benjamin Franklin. 
Sulgrave Manor was the home of the Washington fam- 
ily, and Eckton that of the Franklins. 

We have not been long in Warwick before we make 



WARWICK CASTLE 



39 



a memorable visit to the famous old castle of the Earl 
of Warwick. The great wall inclosing the grounds was 
originally built as a defense for the ancient earls and 




WARWICK CASTLE 



their followers, but it is now crumbling in many places. 
Passing down the long, beautifully shaded entrance, we 
are lost in admiration of the perfectly kept lawns, with 
their artistic groupings of trees old and new, and their 
spreading beds of flowers. The family of the earl is not 
at home, and the whole place is wrapped in a silence 
that is broken only by the harsh screams of many pea- 
cocks. The ancient moat that once used to protect the 
castle from its enemies contains no water now, and the 
portcullis, or huge grating that used to bar out intruders, 
is seldom lowered. As we look upward at its great iron 
spikes, we can faintly imagine what its fall must have 
meant years ago to the men who were trying to fight 
their way into the castle. High up in the tower of the 
castle, we see the little slits between the stones through 



4 o CASTLES AND COLLEGES 

which the archers used to shoot their arrows at the 
besiegers. 

A guard, resplendent in a blue and gilt uniform, con- 
ducts us through the rooms of the castle We find our- 
selves now in stately halls where ancient armor, bows, 
and spears are hanging from the walls ; now in regal 
sleeping rooms where kings and queens were once guests ; 
now in spacious drawing and dining rooms, and, again, 
in galleries containing paintings by famous artists. 

In one of the galleries, the guard throws back his 
shoulders and pointing to a portrait of King Henry VIII 




KENILWORTH CASTLE 

says, " 'Ere we 'ave a picture of 'Enry the Heighth has 
a child." 

We do our utmost to keep back our smiles, but one 
of the boys whispers, " Is that old English, or is it new ? " 

Five miles from Warwick are the ruins of Kenilworth 
Castle, where Queen Elizabeth loved to be. In her day, 



GUY'S CLIFF 41 

immense artificial ponds adjoined the grounds and great 
tournaments were held here. The massive, crumbling 
walls are grand even in their decay, but it is long since 
any one has been able to live in the great building, which 
covers several acres. Every one of the party who has 
not read Scott's " Kenilworth " declares he will do so as 
soon as he returns home. 

Not far from Warwick is Guy's Cliff, the place made 
famous by its connection with Guy, Earl of Warwick, 
of early days, who slew the dun cow and other monsters. 
This doughty earl went on the crusades to the Holy 
Land. Upon his return, he and a few of his followers 
dug caves by a little stream near Guy's Cliff, and there 
they lived for years as hermits, fed by Countess Felice, 
the wife of the earl, who did not know who the holy men 
were until, on his deathbed, the earl sent her his ring. 
One of the boys says, when he hears the story, " I think 
the earl would have been a holier man if he had told his 
wife, when he first came back, that he was alive and well. 
It was not right to make her suffer as he did." 

Beside a little pond near Guy's Cliff is an old stone 
mill built in the days of the Saxons. Its old wheel and 
gray walls have stood there nearly a thousand years ! 
We try to imagine what that means, as we stand listen- 
ing to the gurgling stream flowing from the pond. 

Near Warwick, too, is Leamington, a beautiful summer 
resort famous for its mineral springs. Here every house 
is built near the street, but almost every one (as is the 
case with most English houses) has a garden extending 
far back in the rear. Lawns and gardens are seldom seen 
in the front of houses, as is so frequently the case in 
America. These Leamington gardens are delightful 
places, with their thickly planted shrubs, trees, and 
flowers, and their beautiful walks. 



42 



CASTLES AND COLLEGES 



Stratford-on-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare, how- 
ever, is to many Americans the most interesting place in 
Warwickshire, if not in all England. The distance from 
Warwick is only eight miles ; and as we think of the 




STRATFORD-ON-AVON 

smooth English roads, the happy idea strikes us to 
go to Shakespeare's birthplace on bicycles. We have not 
been long on the way when the "honk" of a motor 
car is heard, and we all turn to the right side of the 
road. 

"Get on the right side of the road," calls the chauf- 
feur, as he draws near. 

"We are on the right," responds one of the boys. 

"No, go to the other side, — the left." 

" But you said the right." 

"The left is the right." 

We are all much puzzled until we suddenly remember 
that the custom in England is to turn to the left, rather 



STRATFORD-ON-AVON 43 

than to the right as in America. We had noticed it when 
we first visited Liverpool and other cities, but had never 
had to put it into actual practice before. 

"Why is Shakespeare's town called Stratford-on-Avon ? 
Why is n't it just plain Stratford? " inquires one of the 
girls. 

" To distinguish it from another Stratford which is in 
Wiltshire," explains her father. 

On the way to the little town, we pass the grounds of 
an estate named Charlecote Park, in which deer are feed- 
ing, just as they were, no doubt, when (as it is said) the 
youthful Shakespeare was arrested for poaching there. 

The house in which Shakespeare was born is still 
standing. It is said that thirty thousand people come 
every year to visit it, 
at least one fourth of 
whom are Americans. 
Americans have erected 
a great drinking foun- 
tain in the town, thus 
showing that the poet 
belongs not only to 
England, but also to 
America and the whole Shakespeare's house 

world. 

In the rooms of the house are to be seen many relics 
of the poet, — choice editions of his plays, and other valu- 
able mementos of his life and works. The room in which 
he was born is sadly out of repair ; the walls are bare, 
and the exposed rafters are crumbling ; but it is other- 
wise much as it was when he first saw the light. In the 
garden in the rear of the house the trees and flowers men- 
tioned in his plays are cultivated. 

The Shakespeare Memorial Building near by is a mod 




44 CASTLES AND COLLEGES 

ern building of stone and red brick. It contains not only 
a library of choice books written about the poet, but also 
many valuable paintings, busts and casts. One of the 
bronze busts was taken from a death mask of Shake- 
speare which was found in a London rag-shop. There 
are also statues, which are said to represent respectively 
Tragedy, History, Comedy, and Philosophy, as well as 
certain characters portrayed in the plays of Shakespeare. 
In this Memorial Building there is a theatre, and every 
spring memorial performances of the plays are given 
in it. 

About a mile from Shakespeare's house is Anne Hath- 
away's cottage. The path used by the poet, on his visits 
there as a young man, is still pointed out. The quaint 
cottage, almost covered by vines and shrubbery, is a type 
of the old English house. There are those who say that 
Anne Hathaway became a scold some time after she and 
Shakespeare were married, but no one seems to know 
very much concerning her except that she was Mrs. 
^William Shakespeare. 

We do not leave Stratford without having a ride, in 
one of the tiny gondolas, on the little River Avon, which 
flows into the Bristol Channel ; nor without standing 
awhile on the bridge to feed the graceful, long-necked, 
black swans swimming on the water, without any fear of 
the visitors. 

Having visited the places of chief importance in this 
interesting county of Warwickshire, we take the train 
the following day for the city of Oxford, located on the 
river Thames. It is the county seat of Oxfordshire, and 
the seat also of the ancient and world-famous University 
of Oxford. 

Upon our arrival, we at once enter a car, or " tram, " 
which will take us to the university. Near the station is 



OXFORD 45 

a high mound, said to have been made by King Alfred. 
Many also believe that Oxford University was founded 
by him, in 972. Even as far back as the thirteenth cen- 
tury there were three thousand students in attendance at 
Oxford, and in the early days there were many serious 
riots between the people of the town and the students. 
In one of these fights between the " town" and the 
''gown," fifty students were killed. All is changed now, 
and the thirty-six hundred students at Oxford have no- 
thing to fear from the people of the city. Indeed, Oxford 
is very proud of its ancient university. 

The university is composed of twenty-two different 
colleges or "halls," every one of which is largely independ- 
ent of the others. Each college has its own governing 
body, and its own master, principal, or president, — 
different titles being used in the various colleges. The 
governing body of the combined colleges is called the 
senate, and is composed of representatives of all the grad- 
uates of the different colleges. 

Nearly all the students live in the college buildings. 
After dark, and also when they go to chapel, or to lec- 
tures, or to dinner, they wear a dark blue or a black gown, 
and instead of a hat they wear a flat square cap which is 
called a " mortar-board." The sight of hundreds of young 
men in this garb on the streets is strange and interesting. 

The most popular time of the year is the week at the 
end of the summer term, when there are thousands of vis- 
itors present to see the degrees given and to watch the 
students in their sports. Another exciting time is " Eights- 
week," in the middle of the same term. This is the week 
when the boat-race and the cricket-match occur. The 
race is rowed on the Thames, over a course of four miles. 
Hundreds of houseboats, little steamers, and smaller boats 
of various kinds are at that time filled with people, and 



4 6 



CASTLES AND COLLEGES 




ROWING-RACES AT OXFORD 



the banks are lined all the way with thousands who have 
come to see the college boys race. 

The names of some of the colleges are strange to us. 
Christ Church is one of the largest, yet it never has more 
than three hundred students. It is called the most fash- 
ionable of all, but when we go into the dining-hall, we 
are surprised to see how simple everything is. The long 
tables are made of plain boards, and there are no chairs, 
for long wooden benches provide the only seats. On the 
walls are hanging the portraits of some of the famous 
graduates ; among them we see those of Cardinal Wol- 
sey, Gladstone, and Lewis Carroll, who wrote " Alice in 
Wonderland." 

The rooms in which the students live, however, are 
many of them beautifully furnished, and it is the custom 
to have breakfast served in them. The great bell in the 
tower over the entrance gate is called " Great Tom " ; 
every night, at five minutes past nine, it rings 101 strokes 
just as it has done for hundreds of years. This is the 



THE COLLEGES 47 

curfew, and the college gate is closed five minutes after 
the bell stops. 

There are many beau- 
tiful quadrangles or 
squares among the dif- 
ferent colleges, and 
most of the buildings 
look, just as they are, 
very old. The vividly 
green " meadows" where 
cricket, football, and 
tennis are played, the 
beautiful stained glass 
windows of the build- 
ings, the massive square 
towers, the ivy - clad 
walls, the broad walks 
among the trees, the 
quaint cloisters, where 
years ago the monks 
took their daily walks, 
all remind us of by- 
gone times. Even the 
course of study and the 
customs are all eloquent 
of the past. Compared 
with any college or uni- 
versity in America, Ox- 
ford seems very old. 

In Oxford, also, we 
have the new as well 
as the old. The six 
" halls " for women stu- 
dents were but recently tom tower 




4 8 



CASTLES AND COLLEGES 




NEW COLLEGE CLOISTERS, BELL TOWER, AND CHAPEL 

built, and the privilege for women students to attend the 
classes or lectures of the university professors, and to 
take the honors examinations with the men, is also new ; 
but Oxford does not grant degrees to women, no matter 
how high their standing has been. In this respect the 
university clings to its old custom. 

QUESTIONS 

What and where are the Midlands of England ? 

What is a shire or county ? How many has England? 

For what is Kenilworth famous ? 

Where was Shakespeare's home? Mention three of his plays. 

Where is Oxford ? What is a university ? 

How can American boys, if they desire, study at Oxford ? 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

Describe a visit to Warwick Castle. 

Describe a tournament in Queen Elizabeth's time. 

Describe a ride on the Avon from Stratford to Bristol. 



CHAPTER V 

THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD 

Reading — Stations in London — Streets of London — Characteristics of the 
People — Houses — Guiding the Traffic — Soldiers — Peculiar Expressions — 
Kew Gardens — Holidays — Covent Garden — Billingsgate — London Fog — 
Hyde Park — Serpentine — Rotten Row — Boroughs — Size of London — West 
End. 

As we take our leave of Oxford we realize that we are 
now but a comparatively short distance from London, 
which is to terminate our journey through the Midlands. 
On the way from Oxford to London, we stop at Reading, 
a city of seventy-five thousand inhabitants, famous for 
its great nurseries, which we visit We admire the many 
varieties of shrubs, and the brilliant flowers of which the 
English people are so fond. One seed-farm alone con- 
tains three thousand acres. We also visit the ruins of 
the Benedictine Abbey, founded by one of the Norman 
kings in the twelfth century, and containing his tomb. 

"This can't be London! My ticket reads, 'To Pad- 
dington!'" exclaims one of the boys when at last the 
train, after passing through miles of suburbs, halts in a 
long, low station. His father laughs, as he replies, " It 
is the Paddington Station in London. Your ticket might 
read, 'To Paddington,' or ' Euston,' or 'Charing Cross,' 
or 'Waterloo,' or to any other of the sixteen terminal 
stations ; but no ticket reads, ' To London.' ' : 

We are much excited as we start out for our first walk 
along the streets of the largest city in the world. The 
people appear much like those we see at home, although 
they all look more alike than the people of an American 
city. It is strange to see men going to their offices, 
even in the morning, wearing silk hats, frock coats, and 



50 



THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD 



carrying canes. This custom, however, is not so common 
as it was a few years ago. Silk hats and canes are used 
even by boys, ten years of age. A good many of the 
men are stout and hearty, resembling- not a little the 
pictures of " John Bull " with which some of us are fa- 
miliar. As we walk along, listening as well as looking, it 
seems to us that the men speak in somewhat deeper 




CHARING CROSS 



tones than do American men, and that all the people talk 
more quietly than Americans. 

Although we have been in England so short a time, 
we have already noticed the marked courtesy of the peo- 
ple. When we have asked to be directed to this or that 
place, we have been most politely answered. Every one says 
" Thank you " (which is frequently shortened to " 'k you ") 
in return for the smallest favor. The elevator man greets 
you with a hearty " Good-morning, sir," or bids you a 



LONDON HOUSES 



5» 



very cordial " Good-night," and when an Englishman 
steps out of the elevator (or " lift") he thanks the man 
for his service. All of this is delightful. 

The old London houses are of brick or stone, and are 
lacking in many of our improvements, as we learn later 
when we accept an invitation to the home of a London 
friend. Steam heat, furnaces, and even stoves, are not 
common, even in the houses of the better classes. The 
small fireplaces provide what little heat there is. Hot 
water, or even running water of any kind, in the upper 
parts of a house, are unusual luxuries. 

Most of the new houses are built of " London clay," 
found alonsf the banks of the Thames. We are told that 




THE THAMES EMBANKMENT 



there is a new house for every hour in the year, and the 
daily increase in population would of itself make a vil- 
lage of two hundred and forty persons. It is also said 



52 



THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD 



that if the streets of London were all joined into one, it 
would extend from New York to San Francisco. 

In the streets we notice many watering carts, which 
are unlike ours. Instead of throwing numerous small 
streams, the square English carts have one large stream 
which really washes the street. 

London was the first city to devise a good system for 
the crowded traffic of her streets. On one side of the 




A CONGESTED SECTION 
The building in the background is the Royal Exchange 

street moves a stream of wagons, cabs, and 'buses, — all 
going in one direction, — and on the other side is a 
similar line, moving in the opposite direction. As we 
cross, we are relieved to find that we need to look 
for danger from only one direction, and we are very 
thankful, on this occasion, when, being caught in a 



THE STREETS 



53 



crowd, we can take refuge on one of the small raised 
platforms which are placed at intervals in the middle of 
the- street for this very purpose. It gives us an added 
sense of security to find a policeman on duty at every 
crossing. When he lifts his arm, all vehicles must stop 
until he motions for them to continue. This system has 
recently been adopted in our larger American cities. 

How many soldiers there are ! making bright splashes 
of color in the crowd, with their scarlet jackets orna- 
mented with rows of brass buttons. Very neat and trim 
they are, too ; but the strange little hats they wear 
strapped to one side of the head — which reminds us 
for all the world of small tin cups — look very funny. 
Here is a messenger boy wearing a little military hat 
just like that of the soldiers. When we visit St. James's 
Park, in which Bucking- 
ham Palace, the King's 
home in London, is lo- 
cated, we shall see the 
"horse guards," who, with 
their horses, "guard" the 
entrance all the time, look- 
ing very dashing in their 
helmets, with long plumes. 
England has so many col- 
onies to protect, and so 
many neighboring coun- 
tries across the Channel 
maintain great armies, that 
she must keep large armies 
herself. In times of peace, 
it costs Great Britain a 

quarter of a billion of dollars a year to support at home 
and abroad her army of nearly three hundred thousand men. 




ONE OF THE HORSE GUARDS 



54 THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD 

The United States spends about one third as much on 
her army, although it is only one fifth as large. 

We notice how frequently the word " royal" appears 
in the street signs. It is used in England a good deal as 
we in America use the word "national." During our 
brief stay in England, we have already learned that the 
word " royal" has a magic sound for the English, — that 
they are intensely devoted to their " royal family," and 
especially to their king. Many of the advertisements, too, 
are different from those we are accustomed to see in 
America. Apartments are called "mansions"; candy is 
"boxes of sweets" ; an auction-sale is an auction-" mart" ; 
an "agricultural iron-monger" advertises what we call 
hardware; and "Alight here " is the notice seen in one of 
the tube stations. The tube or underground railway of 
London is not unlike the "Subway" in New York or 
that in Boston. We have already noticed that trolley- 
cars are not common, but the 'bus or taxicab will take 
us everywhere, we find, at a small charge. 

London is especially favored in the number of its 
parks and playgrounds. Among the more famous of 
these resorts are Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St. 
James's Park, and the Kew Gardens. One of our most 
interesting days is spent in the beautiful Kew Gardens. 
In these grounds of many acres are miles of walks and 
drives winding through a wonderful display of trees, 
shrubs, and flowers. We enter immense hothouses and 
see almost every kind of fern or cactus known. In other 
houses we are interested in the exhibits of pitcher-plants 
and orchids, and we stop at the great tank where the 
beautiful flower named for Queen Victoria (Victoria 
Regia) is in bloom. There is a great Rock Garden, too. 
On the waters of the pond near by are scores of pelicans 
and other strange water birds that have been brought 



PARKS 



55 



here from all parts of the world. The great Palm House 
is almost as interesting as the Water Lily House. 

In the midst of Kew Gardens stands Kew Palace, — 
once the home of King George III. The rooms, we find, 




the kew ga: 



are very plain, but they interest us because in them 
lived George III, King of England when the American 
colonies won their independence. Leaving Kew Palace, 
we enter the splendid Arboretum, with its 178 acres of 
ground. Here we find trees from many lands ; but we 
stop longest at the American Garden, and are proud of 
its magnolias and azaleas. The Winter Garden, some- 
times called Temperate House, is an immense green- 
house, where plants that thrive in the temperate zones 
are kept safely in cold weather. Altogether, we do not 
wonder that Kew Gardens is one of the most frequented 
resorts in London — especially on holidays. 

The enjoyment of the English people in their holi- 
days — any vacation here is a "holiday" — is very marked, 



56 



THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD 



and it is a favorite custom to spend them at the resorts 
so plentifully provided in England. If a visitor is in Lon- 
don on a national holiday, he wonders what has become 
of all the crowds, for the streets are as quiet as they are 
on Sundays, and England keeps Sunday more strictly 
than any other nation in the world. 

Early one morning we go to Covent Garden Market 
to see the wealth of fruits and flowers for sale, and the 
crowds of marketers. We wish it were possible to see 
the Market the night before Easter, when, a friend tells 
us, its appearance is the most brilliant of the year. 
There are many other busy markets in the city. As we 




THE THAMES, AT BILLINGSGATE 



return we pass by Billingsgate, a huge fish market near 
London Bridge, the disagreeable odors from which scent 
the air. We cannot hear the loud voices of the fishwives, 
but some of us remember that the term billingsgate, 
(meaning coarse or abusive language) originated here. 

" I want to see a dear old London fog," says one of 
the girls one morning to the man that manages the lift. 



A RIDE IN A TAXICAB 57 

"It 's the wrong time of year, Miss," he replies. "The 
fogs come between November and April. Last year, an 
American lady, who had come to spend the winter at 
this hotel, said to me one morning just what you said. 
The very next day, the worst black fog I ever saw set- 
tled down (you know there is a black fog and a yellow 
fog), and it lasted four days. Why, Miss, you could not 
see from one side of a street to the other. It was 
worse than night. The lady and all the guests were 
really prisoners in the hotel ; and when the four days 
were gone, she packed her boxes and left. I fancy she 
had seen all she wanted of a 'dear old London fog,' and 
I 'd be glad myself if I never saw another." 

One day our party engages taxicabs and rides all the 
afternoon through the streets in the West of London. 
At Hyde Park, we stop a little while to watch the 
throngs, walking, riding, and driving, that enter through 
the many gates. Here we see statues of the Duke of 
Wellington and other famous men, and huge cannon 
captured in battle (sometimes the cannon have been 
melted and cast into bronze statues, such as that of 
Wellington). We admire, too, the great stretches of 
lawns, the playgrounds, the beautiful trees, and the place 
for public assemblies. The Serpentine — an artificial 
sheet of water, the gift of Queen Caroline, the wife of 
George II — is specially interesting, because it is one 
of the places where the little skating which an English 
winter permits, is enjoyed. Passing by the Serpentine 
is that very fashionable drive with the peculiar name of 
Rotten Row. Here almost any pleasant afternoon many 
of the fashionable folk of the city can be seen driving in 
their handsome equipages. 

For many miles our taxicabs speed forward, through 
streets containing the fine residences of the rich and great. 



58 THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD 

Almost every one of these has its garden, even if it is 
a very small one. At last we reach what seem to be 




ROTTEN ROW 



villages separated from one another by open spaces, but 
still the confines of London have not been passed. 

''How large is London ? " inquires one of the boys at 
last. 

" The real city of London has a population of about 
twenty-seven thousand," replies his father. 

" What do you mean ? London is the largest city in 
the world ! " 

"Yes, that is true, but still it is not all the truth. Per- 
haps you have noticed the names of the boroughs or dis- 
tricts, — Westminster, Battersea, Lambeth, St. Pan'cras, 
Shoreditch, or some of the twenty-two other divisions ? 
When the original London grew beyond its boundaries, 
different boroughs were made; but a few years ago these 
were brought together by an Act of Parliament, and now 



THE GROWTH OF LONDON 59 

the London County Council has charge of what is really 
one vast city. But the names of the boroughs have been 
retained. You notice, too, that your letters come directed 
to London W. C; those two letters mean West Centre. 
They would be directed to London S. W., if we had 
happened to stay in the South West of London." 
" W 7 hat is the size of Greater London ?" 
"More than seven hundred square miles." 
" Yes, but how many people live in the greater city?" 
" Over seven millions. That is about as many as live 
in the entire State of New York. If you stand at Char- 
ing Cross you will be in the centreof a city that extends 
fifteen miles in each direction. That is quite different, 
is n't it, from the little hamlet of huts that probably was 
1 Llundain ' when the ancient Britons lived here?" 

" I have heard people say that England, or London 
rather, is not growing." 

" England is not increasing in population as rapidly as 
the United States is, but London grows rapidly. It began 
to grow soon after the Romans came, and because of its 
location on the Thames it soon became an important 
place. Its greatest growth has been within the last hun- 
dred years. For instance, in 1700 it contained about 
seven hundred thousand people, in 1800 there were nine 
hundred thousand, and now there are more than seven 
million ! It has doubled its population in the last fifty 
years ! " 

Our long and interesting ride in the West End of 
London is ended. How many famous and splendid places 
we have passed ! We have seen from the outside the 
palace of King Edward, the barracks where the soldiers 
live, the great picture galleries, Westminster Abbey, 
an4 the Houses of Parliament, as well as many of the 
houses of the nobility. 



60 THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD 

In the East End of London, which we are yet to visit, 
the docks are located ; also the Bank, the General Post 
Office, St. Paul's Cathedral, Chancery Lane, where the 
lawyers have their offices, Paternoster Row, where the 
books are published, and Whitechapel, which is largely a 
Jewish section. 

QUESTIONS 

If you buy a ticket to London, what destination will be in- 
dicated ? 

Mention three characteristics of the English people that 
American travelers notice. 

Mention three great parks of London. 

What is Rotten Row ? Serpentine ? 

How large is Old London ? The present city? How is the 
city governed ? What is a borough ? 

In what part of London are the following : Buckingham 
Palace, Westminster Abbey, and the Houses of Parliament? 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

Describe a walk in Hyde Park or in the Kew Gardens. 

Describe an imaginary experience when lost in a London 
fog. 

Tell briefly the causes of the troubles between George III 
and his American colonies. 



CHAPTER VI 

PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 

Westminster Abbey — Poets' Corner — Houses of Parliament — " Big Ben " 
— House of Commons — House of Lords — The Throne — St. Margaret's — 
London Tower — Tower Bridge — London Bridge — Trafalgar Square — Pall 
Mall — Marlborough House — Famous Streets — The Strand — Charing Cross — 
Fleet Street — Temple Church — " Old Curiosity Shop " — The Mansion House — 
Bank of England — St. Paul's Cathedral — British Museum — South Kensington 
Museum — National Gallery — Tate Gallery — Port of London — Docks — 
Manufacturing — Causes of London's Greatness. 

At the earliest opportunity, our young travelers visit 
Westminster Abbey, in Westminster, the largest of all 
the boroughs. Many years ago, the ground along the 
Thames near the Abbey was a swamp, and the spot on 
which the vast building rests was called Thorney Isle, 
because so many bushes with thorns grew there. Early 
in the seventh century a Saxon king built a church here 
in honor of St. Peter. That building was destroyed by 
the Danes, but a later king erected another in 985. The 
Abbey itself was established by Edward the Confessor 
about the middle of the eleventh century, and it has been 
rebuilt in part and enlarged many times since. 

A building so large (its total length is 5 13 feet and the 
towers are 225 feet in height) and so old is in continual 
need of repair, and every day workmen can be seen upon 
scaffolds erected on its walls. Its shape is that of a Latin 
cross. It is inspiring to stand within, and gaze at the 
marble columns, at the exquisite alabaster screen behind 
the altar, at the lofty choir, and the great transepts. The 
largest rose window in the world is here. Everyday, ser- 
vices are held, and sometimes the vast building is filled 
with visitors. 

Many of England's great men have been buried in 




WESTMINSTER ABBEY 



WESTMINSTER ABBEY 



63 



Westminster Abbey, and we step softly when we recall 
that beneath our feet are the bodies of many famous 
people. We see the monuments of Pitt, Warren Hastings, 
Darwin, Isaac Newton, Isaac Watts, David Garrick, Macau- 
lay, Thackeray, Dickens, and hundreds of other celebrities. 
One of the most interesting places is the Poets' Corner, 
where the ashes of many poets lie, and where we see 




THE POETS' CORNER 



many busts of poets who were not buried in the Abbey. 
Among these are Milton, Shakespeare, and Longfellow. 

" I am glad England honored us by having a bust of 
Longfellow placed in the Poets' Corner," says one of the 
girls. 

" I think England, as well as America, was honored," 
responds a boy. 

In another part of the Abbey, we stand before busts 
or tombs of many English sovereigns, besides those of 
famous nobles. In the chapel of Edward the Confessor, 



6 4 



PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 



our party stops in front of a quaint old chair of oak. 

" That is the coronation chair," whispers one of the girls 

■ f £4 excitedly. 

'/ \ "What is that old stone 

under it?" inquires another 

..: _J ■--. * of the party. 

" The Stone of Scone," 
explains his father. "It 
was once the emblem of 
the Scotch Princes, and it 
is said to be the stone 
Jacob used for a pillow. 
King Edward I brought it 
to London in 1297, after 
Scotland had been con- 
quered by the English." 

" Was the present King- 
crowned in that chair?" 

" Yes, and every English 

monarch since Edward I 

has also been crowned in 

it. On coronation day it is covered with gold brocade. 

The sword of state and the shield of King Edward III 

are there beside the chair." 

Not far from Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Par- 
liament stand on the banks of the Thames. They cover 
eight acres of ground and cost over $15,000,000. They 
are best seen from the river, where their frontage is over 
nine hundred feet, and they present a very beautiful ap- 
pearance with their three great towers and many little 
spires and turrets. When Parliament is sitting, the union 
flag is flying from the highest tower, the Victoria, in the 
daytime, while a light shines in the Clock Tower at 
night. Up in the Clock Tower is a bell which the London 




THE CORONATION CHAIR 



PARLIAMENT 65 

people call " Big Ben." It is one of the largest bells in 
the world, and weighs thirteen tons. On a calm day, its 
heavy deep-toned strokes can be heard throughout the 
great city. 

The Houses of Parliament contain a hundred stair- 
cases, eleven courts, and eleven hundred apartments. In 
these buildings there are statues of the English rulers, 
beginning with William the Conquerer, and in almost 





■■HflflHBHHiflHlJ^^&yHHiJ 


_— - m 



THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT 

every room are costly paintings and elaborate decora- 
tions. The two rooms which are of special interest to us 
are those in which the two " houses " meet — the House 
of Commons and the House of Lords — which, in away, 
are like our Congress and Senate at Washington. 

Through the invitation of a member of Parliament, we 
are fortunate in being admitted to the House of Com- 
mons when it is in session. Our first impression of the 



66 



PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 




THE HOUSE OF COMMONS 



room is disappointing, for it is smaller than we had ex- 
pected. At the right of the Speaker, or President, are the 
seats of the party in power, and the front bench is occu- 
pied by the Ministers of the Empire. On the left of the 
Speaker are seated the men who belong to the Opposi- 
tion, the leaders occupying the front bench. Directly in 
front of the Speaker is the clerk's table on which the 
mace, the symbol of the Speaker's authority, lies when 
the House is "sitting." On each side of the House of 
Commons is a room known as a "division lobby." When 
a vote is taken, members who vote " Aye " pass into the 
lobby at the Speaker's right, while those who vote " No " 
go to that on his left, where all are counted. 

Although the House of Commons consists of nearly 
seven hundred members, there are seats for only 476; so 
that, when an exciting bill is being discussed, and all the 
members are present, many of them must stand. No one 
has a desk before him, as our members of Congress have, 



THE LOWER HOUSE 



6? 



and if a member wishes to write, he generally uses his 
hat for a desk. The Speaker is dressed in a long black 
robe, and wears a gray peruke that falls below his shoul- 
ders. We find it all very strange and interesting. 

The House of Commons is the strongest ruling force 
in England, having really more power than the House of 
Lords, or even the King himself. Indeed, it is said that 
the King of England has less power than the President 




THE HOUSE OF LORDS 



of the United States, and some say that the mayor of one 
of our great cities is a more powerful ruler than is the 
King of Great Britain. But the House of Commons is 
strong only because it represents the people; and if the 
man who is elected does not truly represent those who 
elect him, he is very soon compelled to give up his place 
to one who will. 

In the House of Lords the conditions are different, for 
every member there owes his seat to his rank. There are 



68 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 

about six hundred peers or lords. The rule is for the eld- 
est son to inherit the rank of his father. These peers 
include the five orders of nobility, — dukes, marquises, 
earls, viscounts, and barons. 

The room in which the House of Peers assemble is very 
elaborately furnished, the benches for its five hundred and 
fifty members being luxuriously upholstered in red leather. 
Representations of all the kings and queens since the 
Conquest are to be seen in the twelve stained-glass win- 
dows, and in the niches between the windows are statues 
of the barons who compelled King John to grant the 
Magna Charta which gave the English people many of 
their most highly prized rights. On the walls and on 
the beautifully carved ceilings are various emblems and 
paintings of royal personages. 

In the House of Lords is the great throne of the Sover- 
eign of England. It is covered with a gilded canopy, and 
is a little higher than the throne of the Prince of Wales, 
which is on its right. On the other side of it is a throne 
for the Queen. In front of the throne is a small cush- 
ioned stool, which is the Lord Chancellor's "woolsack." 
In the days of Queen Elizabeth, when it was believed 
that wool was the greatest source of wealth, an act of 
Parliament was passed to prevent wool from being sent 
out of the country. In order to help the judges and 
others to keep this fact in mind, woolsacks were placed 
in the House of Peers. Upon these the judges and the 
Lord Chancellor were to sit, and the custom continues 
to this day. 

Until 1858, the House of Commons, four times every 
year, used to attend service in state in St. Margaret's 
Church nearby. Neither the age nor the beautiful windows 
of this church are so interesting to us as is the fact that 
Sir Walter Raleigh's body, after his execution in 1618 in 



ST. MARGARET'S CHURCH 



69 



front of Westminster Palace, was buried here. The po- 
etic inscription on the Raleigh window was written by 
an American, James Russell Lowell, which certainly 
was fitting, since Raleigh had so much to do with the 
early days of America. There is also a memorial window 
to John Milton, the gift of another American ; the Amer- 
ican poet Whittier wrote the inscription beneath it. 
Still another window, in memory of Phillips Brooks, 
reminds us that England and America have much in 
common. 

"This is not a tower at all! It's a fort, a castle! Its 
thirteen towers make it look like an old palace!" exclaims 



4 *-l* 




'Jfjffi^-JfHf g NE^ 




UOBBMHF 


- ■*■■- 


— *-l 1 ■HP^ayHuNJual • mi 


^ 

^■'•V - -;; 


izrj 




I 


*Sis 






.u^-^m'^m'^^^--^^!^ 1 ^' -■ " ' ''"' m | 



THE TOWER 



one of the boys the following day, when the party visits 
London Tower, which, historically, is the most interesting 
place in all the British Isles. "There is a high wall all 
around it, and it has a deep moat, too, though there is no 
longer any water in it." 

"It is true," laughs the lad's father. "What did you 



jo PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 

expect to see? Just a high tower like the Washington 
Monument?" 

"I don't know just what I did expect, but it was not 
anything like this." 

The Tower, which stands on the bank of the Thames, 
is now used as an arsenal, but years ago it was a palace 
and fortress, and, later, perhaps the most gloomy prison- 
house in all the world. It covers thirteen acres and looks 
like a series of connected castles. Of these, the ancient 
White Tower, built by William the Conqueror, is the 
largest. 

" Look at those strange men," whispers one of the girls 
as she glances at the solemn attendants. 

"They are old soldiers, dressed in the garb of the yeo- 
men of years ago," explains the father. "You can see 
from them just how the men dressed who fought in the 
days of Henry VIII." 

"Do you know what those attendants are called?" asks 
one of the party. 

"'Beefeaters,'" replies one of the boys promptly. 

"Why?" 

"It is a nickname, given them, most probably, because 
the old Yeomen of the Guard were given beef regularly 
in their rations when they were on duty." 

"I want to see the crown jewels," exclaims one of the 
girls. 

" But I want to see all the old armor," replies one of the 
boys. 

The party accordingly is divided, and while the girls 
are seeing the wonderful jewels on exhibition in the 
Wakefield Tower we will go with the boys to the White 
Tower, to inspect the ancient armor. There we are 

deeply interested in the various kinds of armor, in the 

armor of the Normans, which consisted of small pieces 



ANCIENT WEAPONS 71 

of leather, joined like the scales of a fish ; the chain 
armor, which came in at a later date ; the plates for pro- 
tecting the arms and legs, which were used still later ; 
and, finally, the complete armor covering the body, which 
came into use in the reign of Henry V. 

" I don't see how a man could do anything in such 
heavy armor," exclaims one boy, as he points to a figure 
of a man covered with heavy iron-plate, and seated upon 
a wooden horse also encased in armor. " Were men 
stronger than thev are now ? " 

"No," replies his father. "Probably they did not 
move very quickly." 

Crossbows, longbows, spears, battle-axes, swords, 
knives — all the rude means by which men sought to 
slay one another years ago, are seen, and the fact that 
many of these very pieces had been used in battle makes 
them doubly interesting. The suit worn by a knight in 
the tournaments in Queen Elizabeth's time is perhaps 
the most interesting of all. 

When at last they rejoin their friends in the Bloody 
Tower, where the two young princes were said to have 
been murdered by the order of Richard III, the boys 
are glad to listen to the description of the crown jewels 
given by the enthusiastic girls. 

" It is the most wonderful sight ! " says one. " In a 
great glass case we saw the crown with which Charles II 
was crowned. You know robbers stole it once, but the 
king got it back again. Then we saw Queen Victoria's 
crown, which has been changed and worn by King Ed- 
ward VII. Why, there are over twenty-eight hundred 
diamonds in it, three hundred pearls, and I can't tell you 
how many other precious stones ! Oh, I never saw any- 
thing like it. The Prince of Wales's crown — just pure 
gold and not a stone in it — is there, too." 



72 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 

" Did you see the famous Koh-i-noor diamond ? " asks 
her brother. 

" Yes, I did," she declares. " It 's the largest diamond 
in the world. And I saw the Coronation Bracelets, and 
Royal Spurs, St. Edward's staff, made of solid gold, and 
the royal sceptre. There were all the insignia of the 
Orders of the Garter, the Bath, the Thistle, St. Patrick, 
the Star of India — and I don't know how many others. 
They are all in a huge glass case in a strong iron cage. 
I never saw such beautiful jewels before." 

''Some of them you dzdu'tsee," says herfather, smiling. 
" You saw only a model of the Koh-i-noor, for the origi- 
nal is kept in Windsor Castle. Some of the crowns and 
some of the other things are simply reproductions, too, 
for the crown jewels were sold when Charles I was exe- 
cuted. A good many of them are real, though, so you did 
see some things worth while." 

We decide to visit the Tower Bridge and London 
Bridge before we return to our hotel, and on our way we 
try to recall as many names as possible of famous peo- 
ple who have been prisoners in the Tower of London. 
Among them are Sir Thomas More, Lady Jane Grey, 
and Sir Walter Raleigh, who were beheaded. " It is 
interesting," says one of the girls thoughtfully; "but I 
am glad we haven't any such place in America. It is 
bad enough to think we hanged witches and whipped 
Quakers." 

We leave the Tower, and soon are crossing the Tower 
Bridge, one of the newest of the twenty bridges that 
span the Thames. It is a half mile in length, and we are 
told that fifty thousand people daily cross on its foot- 
walk, and twelve thousand wagons on its carriage-way. 

London Bridge, however, is the oldest and still the 
most important of all the bridges. The present structure 



A FAMOUS BRIDGE 



73 



is a little farther up the river than were those that pre- 
ceded it, — and when the first London Bridge was built no 
one knows. The lamp-posts on it are made of cannon 
England has captured in war. Nearly twice as many foot- 
passengers and wagons cross on this bridge as on the 
Tower Bridge. 

We stand awhile amid the throngs passing over Lon- 
don Bridge, and watch the thousands of boats on the 




LONDON BRIDGE 



river, and listen to the roar of the traffic ; we look away to 
the great city and see the Tower, Billingsgate, the dome 
of St. Paul's, and the great warehouses on the Surrey 
side of the river, and we are glad that we are here to see 
it all. As we depart, one of the girls begins to hum — 

London Bridge is falling down, 
Falling down, falling down, 
London Bridge is falling down, 
My fair lady. 

The following day the party again separates, because 



74 



PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 



the boys are eager to see the Bank of England and the 
business part of the city, while the girls, whom we will 
follow, prefer to visit the streets where the shops are 
located. The porter of our hotel whistles for a taxicab, 
and one quickly appears. Near every hotel .and at many 
other places, a space in the streets is reserved for a cer- 
tain number of cabs and other vehicles, and the driver 
of each kind recognizes the whistle or call that summons 
him. 

Here we are at the famous Trafalgar Square, with its 
lofty monument to Lord Nelson, the brave admiral who 
won the battle off Cape Trafalgar, in 1805, but lost his 
own life. The victory, as we know, was gained by the Eng- 
lish fleet over the combined navies of France and Spain. 




TRAFALGAR SQUARE 



The Emperor Napoleon had planned to invade England, 
and these two fleets were to protect his great army when 
it should cross the English Channel. But the army did 
not land, for Nelson destroyed the ships. His famous 



NELSON'S MONUMENT 



75 



message to his sailors just before the battle, " England 
expects every man to do his duty," has become a watch- 
word among the English people. The Nelson Monu- 
ment was erected by the grateful people of England in 
1843. On its pedestal are four great crouching lions of 
bronze, modeled by Landseer, the famous painter of 




PALL MALL 



animals. We are particularly interested in its reliefs 
in bronze, because they were made of the French cannon 
which Nelson captured. There are other statues in this 
famous square and two great fountains, with their large 
basins, in which small boys are sailing little boats. 

We drive through Pall Mall (commonly pronounced 
Pell Mell), famous because it has more clubs than any 
other street in London. Besides these clubs there are 
many costly residences. The name Pall Mall is said to 
have come from an Italian game introduced into England 
when Charles I was king, and played here before the 



7 6 



PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 



fields had given place to busy streets. We pass Marlbor- 
ough House, one of the beautiful buildings erected by the 
famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren. It was built in 
1710 for the first Duke of Marlborough — a palace once 
kept up with so much magnificence that King George 
("Neighbor George," the duke termed him) was not able 
to surpass it in St. James's Palace, where he lived. It is 
now the home of the Prince of Wales. 

We ride through the crowded little street called Hay- 
market ; along Piccadilly, which extends for a mile or more, 
through Hyde Park to Piccadilly Circus, and at once turn 




PICCADILLY CIRCUS 



into busy Oxford Street, on which many of the finest shops 
are located. Here we find that, while many things are as 
expensive as they are at home, dresses, silks, linens, furs, 
jewels, and laces are very much cheaper than in America, 
and we are told that this is because of the lower wages 



CROWDED STREETS 



77 



paid to English workmen and because of the American 
protective tariff. 

Having made additional purchases in that busy shop- 
ping centre, Oxford Circus, at the junction of Oxford and 




OXFORD STREET 



Regent streets, we reenter our taxicab. The skill of the 
driver in picking his way through the crowded traffic here 
is wonderful. Bond Street, New Bond Street, New Ox- 
ford Street, Tottenham Court Road, and other well-known 
streets are seen before the girls return to display their 
purchases to the rest of the party. 

Meanwhile the experiences of the boys have been not 
less interesting, and they are eager to describe the sights 
they have seen. 

"We climbed to the top of a 'bus at Trafalgar Square 
and rode up the Strand," begins one of the boys. "You 
never saw such a crowd ! It did n't seem as if there was 
room for another 'bus or another man. We saw Charing 
Cross Station, where the trains leave for Dover and the 



78 



PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 



Continent. We drove along the Strand, passing a good 
many of the London theatres. We saw the church of 
St. Mary le Strand, on the very spot where the maypole 
used to be placed on May Day." 

" Why is the street called the Strand ? " asks one of the 
girls. 

" It really is the ' strand ' or bank of the Thames, al- 
though you can't see the river from it now. When it was 
just the bank of the Thames, the houses of the nobility 




THE STRAND 



used to be there, and their gardens stretched clear down 
to the river." 

"From the Strand we kept on into Fleet Street. It 
almost seemed as if we could see Dr. Johnson, Oliver 
Goldsmith, and other old bookworms going into the fa- 
mous old tavern ' Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese/ to dine to- 
gether. Then we went on to the 'Old Curiosity Shop,' 
which they say is just as it was when Dickens wrote the 
sad story of ' Little Nell.' After that, we saw the Temple 



TEMPLE CHURCH 



79 




FLEET STREET 



Church that stands right in the middle of the street. That 
was where the Knights Templars used to meet before they 
started on the Crusades. Oliver Goldsmith, who wrote 



So 



PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 




THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP 



the 'Vicar of Wakefield/ is buried in the little church- 
yard of the Temple Church. Sometimes the heads of crim- 
inals who were executed 
here in those old days 
were stuck on spikes 
near this place. 

" When we passed 
St. Paul's Cathedral, we 
rode into Cheapside and 
went along the Poul- 
try — " 

"Along what?" laugh- 
ingly demands one of the 
girls. 
"Along the Poultry, though now there aren't any 
chickens for sale there. The whole street seems to be 
given up to jewelers. Pretty soon, we came to the Man- 
sion House, which is the place where the Lord Mayor of 
London lives. He is elected only for a year, so he does 
not live there very long. Right opposite the Mansion 
House is the Bank of England. This is one of the sights 
of London. It is only one story high, although it is spread 
out over a good deal of ground, and there is not a window 
in the outside walls." 

"How is it lighted?" inquires one of the party. 
"Through the courts inside the building. More than a 
thousand persons work there, and in the vaults there is 
more than $100,000,000 in gold and silver all the time. 
It is the only bank in England which can issue paper 
money, and about $125,000,000 is in circulation all the 
time. Just as soon as a bank note comes back to the bank 
it is canceled, although it is kept five years in case it 
should be needed in some law trial. All the printing of 
the bank is done inside the building. In the weighing office 



THE BANK 



81 



we saw the machines for weighing coins, each of which 
can weigh thirty-three sovereigns a minute." 

" We went on through Lombard Street, Threadneedle 
Street, and some others that are lined with banking 




THE iMANSION HOUSE 

houses. Banks of almost every known country have 
branches there. It's not hard now to understand why 
London is the most important financial city in the 
world." 

The girls are so much interested in what the boys had 
seen that they decide the next day to visit these same 
places themselves. As they are returning from the Bank 
of England, they stop to visit St. Paul's Cathedral, which 
is in the oldest part of the city. This famous cathedral is 
sometimes called the "monument of Sir Christopher 
Wren," its architect, who received the small salary of' 
$1000 a year while it was being erected. It was com- 
pleted in 1 7 10, at a total cost of $4,250,000. The money 



82 



PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 



was raised by taxing all the coal that was brought into 
London. 

"The building is so large and so old that when we 
climbed the steps in front and entered it, it seemed as if 
we were in another world," explains one of the girls, when 
the party is reunited at dinner. "In the crypt we saw 
where Wellington, Nelson, and other famous men are 
buried. St. Paul's has a painters' corner, just as West- 
minster has a poets' corner, and memorial tablets to ar- 




THE BANK OF ENGLAND 



tists who have become famous can be seen in the floor or 
on the walls. We saw those of Landseer, Reynolds, Turner, 
and a good many others, but the one that most interested 
us was that of the American artist, Benjamin West. 

"We climbed the 260 steps up to the Whispering Gal- 
lery, and it was well worth the climb. If you whisper on 
one side of the wall, the person on the other side can hear 
you, although he is 108 feet from you in a straight line. 



IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM 



83 



St. Paul's is a wonderful place, and we are going there to 
service some day." 

The next morning, the entire party having decided to 
go to the British Museum, we enter our cabs and drive 
to Great Russell Street. The vast buildings of the Mu- 
seum are dark from smoke and fog. There are many halls 
to be visited, in each of which is a special collection of rare 




THE BRITISH MUSEUM 



and valuable objects. We go from hall to hall, stopping for 
a time in the one which contains numberless precious man- 
uscripts. Here are autograph letters of nearly every Eng- 
ish monarch since the days of Richard the Lion-Hearted. 
The autograph of Queen Victoria was written when she 
was a little girl four years of age, and seems to us the most 
interesting of all. There are also autographs of famous men, 
authors' manuscripts, and old charters dating back to the 



84 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 

time of the Danes (not the least of which are original 
copies of Magna Charta). We examine curious specimens 
of early printing, first editions of famous books, and see 
some manuscripts that were written in the earliest days 
of the Christian Church. 

In another hall, we find relics of the Romans in 
England. In others, we see copies or originals of the 
sculptures of the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Assyrians, 
and many other ancient nations, feeling as we look at 
them almost as if we were back in those ancient 
times. 

In still other halls are most interesting collections 
showing how people in different parts of the world live, 
dress, carry on war, and hunt. The exhibit relating to the 
American Indians is larger and more complete than any 
similar collection in America. The American collection 
in the Museum includes the countries of Mexico, Central 
America, South America, Canada, and Alaska. This seems 
strange to us, until we stop to think that Mexico is as 
much in America as is the United States. 

The variety and number of the exhibits in the Museum 
almost bewilder us. There are collections illustrating the 
religions of every land, and the early days of Christianity. 
We look at so many gems, vases, and works of art from 
all over the world and from every period of history, that 
our heads swim. Perhaps the most interesting of all the 
exhibits is that containing the Elgin Marbles. These are 
sculptures made in the days of ancient Greece, for the 
Parthenon at Athens. Lord Elgin bought them from the 
city of Athens for $350,000, selling them to England in 
1 8 16 for half that sum. We are glad of the opportunity 
to see these specimens of the Greek sculptors, the great- 
est the world has ever known. Altogether, the British 
Museum is a wonderful place, and a great aid to students, 



SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM 85 

who find there many specimens that cannot be seen any- 
where else in the world. 

The day following our visit to the British Museum, we 
make a trip to the South Kensington Museum, which has 
the finest collection in the world of what is sometimes 
called ''applied art." Tapestry, fine pottery, rare laces, 
ivory, gold and silver work, porcelains, pictures — all these 
and many more are on exhibition. The girls are much in- 
terested in these things ; but the scientific building, which 
contains models or originals of locomotives, and engines 
that have been used since steam was first applied to mod- 
ern machinery, appeals more to the boys. Here is "Puff- 
ing Billy," the first locomotive, which was used in the 
mines at Newcastle-on-the-Tyne in 181 3. Here is the 
original printing-press used by Benjamin Franklin, and 
the first mower and reaper ever made. Here is the 
"hobby-horse" made in France and introduced into Eng- 
land in 18 18, — the forerunner of the bicycle. A man who 
rode a hobby-horse pushed with his feet against the ground 
to drive it forward. The earliest forms of printing and 
cotton machinery, of typewriting-machines, boilers, elec- 
trical appliances, and steamboats — all are here; so that 
it is long before our boys can be induced to leave. When 
they do depart, they declare they are coming back soon 
to see more of the wonderful collection. 

On the first stormy day, we make our first visit to the 
famous picture galleries of London. Facing Trafalgar 
Square is the National Gallery, standing where, in early 
days, were the "mews" or stables of the king. In the nu- 
merous rooms of the great building are shown the British, 
the Italian, the French, and other schools of painting. 
There are many wonderful pictures here, but the collec- 
tion in the Tate Gallery, which we next visit, is still more 
interesting. Although we have never seen the original 



86 



PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 




THE NATIONAL GALLERY 



pictures before, many of them are familiar through en- 
gravings which we have seen in America. We easily re- 
cognize such famous modern pictures as The Doctor, 
The Boyhood of Raleigh, The Northwest Passage, and 
The Horse Fair, as well as the pictures of horses and 
dogs by Landseer and Rosa Bonheur. 

The boys insist upon visiting the Port of London, but 
they go alone, for the girls declare that they are more 
interested in parks and galleries. The Port of London 
really begins at London Bridge, and does not end until 
the mouth of the Thames is reached. London exports 
about one quarter of all the goods sent out of the British 
Isles, and imports one third of all incoming goods, so it 
is easy to understand why the narrow Thames is such a 
busy stream. Yet, great as is the tonnage of the Port of 
London, it is not so great in an entire year as that which 
passes Detroit, Michigan, in the Detroit River, in the eight 
months in which navigation is open on the Great Lakes. 



THE DOCKS 87 

The London Docks, covering one hundred acres, cost 
$20,000,000 when they were made, more than a hundred 
years ago. We are told that more than three thousand 
men are at work here every day. Enormous warehouses 
and storage cellars are all about' us. The high chimney 
over there is called the "King's Tobacco Pipe," perhaps 
because years ago all the impure tobacco and tea that 
were brought in were burned up in the furnace con- 
nected with it. 

To the London Docks are brought the products of 
every land. Numberless bales, huge casks, great piles 
of hides, are on every side of us, and the wonder is how 
so much trade can be carried on. Some of the other 
best known and busiest docks are the East India, West 
India, and Millwall, and they, too, cover hundreds of 
acres. At the Royal Victoria and Albert Docks, which 
are nearly three miles in length, we stop to watch a 
huge hydraulic crane which can lift fifty-five tons at 
a time. 

On the return journey, the boys cross under the 
Thames through the Blackwall Tunnel, one of several 
under the river. Some of them say, however, that they 
should have preferred to go by Regent's Canal, which 
crosses the northern part of the city, joining another 
canal that opens a waterway extending all the way from 
London to Liverpool. 

We learn that nearly everything that you can think of 
is manufactured in London, but its chief products are 
beer, glass, leather, carriages, sugar, biscuits, and jam. 
Jam is of especial importance, for almost every English- 
man has jam or marmalade served at his breakfast ! 

" What is it that makes London so great a city ? " in- 
quires one of the boys that evening, as we sit talking 
over the day's experiences. 



88 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON 

" You have seen enough of it to answer your own 
question," remarks his father. "What do you think?" 

" It has the most fertile country in England around it." 

" Yes, and it is the centre of all the roads and rail- 
roads. That makes it the natural trading-centre." 

" It is close to the seas and mainlands of Europe." 

" Yes, London is the natural centre of the trade of 
the world. It is commerce which makes a city great." 

" But there must be a great many poor people in 
London," says one of the girls. 

" That is true, also. In spite of London's wealth, there 
are more than a hundred and forty-five thousand paupers 
in the city, and of those who die in the United Kingdom, 
one in every forty is buried in a pauper's grave." 

QUESTIONS 

What is "Big Ben'"? Where is the throne of the English 
sovereign ? The coronation chair ? 

Mention five famous men buried in Westminster Abbey. 
What is the Poets' Corner ? 

Mention three important streets of London. For what is 
each famous ? What and where is Trafalgar Square ? 

What is the Tower of London ? For what is it famous ? 

Mention two of London's best-known art galleries. 

Mention four manufacturing industries of London ; also 
three of its great docks. 

Mention four causes of the greatness of London. 

Compare London with New York. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

Describe a visit to the House of Commons or to the British 
Museum. 

Describe a walk across London Bridge. 

Describe a visit to the Bank of England, to St. Paul's 
Cathedral, or to Westminster Abbey. 



CHAPTER VII 

PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR LONDON 

Excursion on the Thames — Characteristics of the Thames — Greenwich — The 
British Navy — Woolwich — Hampton Court — Richmond — Windsor Castle — 
Eton College — Anthem of Harrow — Schools for Girls. 

Our stay in London has come almost to an end. We 
no longer feel that we are strangers in the great city. 
The throngs of people, the dark-hued buildings, the 
crowded streets with their peculiar names, the long even- 
ing twilight, have all become familiar to us. In our even- 
ings we are studying the map of southern England, 
through which we are next to travel, and planning our 
route from city to city. Already we have engaged our 
rooms in some of the hotels, because we are aware that 
in summer time England is full of tourists. 

Before we start on our long journey, however, we de- 
vote a few days to some of the interesting places near 
London. Early one morning we go down to London 
Bridge and board a steamer bound westward on the 
Thames, which will take us to Hampton Court, the 
largest royal palace in the kingdom. There is a crowd 
about the booking-office that acts quite like an Ameri- 
can crowd, every one eager to be the first to secure his tick- 
ets. On the little side- wheel steamer we find that one trav- 
els by " classes " just as on the cars. 

" I have been in America," says an Englishman who 
is seated beside one of the boys. " Which do you call 
your most beautiful river ?" 

"The St. Lawrence." 

" I have seen that. It is quite attractive. But you will 
find the Thames much more beautiful. We call it the 
' Silver Thames.' " 



9 o PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR LONDON 

" It looks as if the silver had been oxydized or bronzed," 
replies the young traveler with a laugh, as he looks at 
the muddy stream. Indeed, the Thames near London is 
not very much like "silver." The tide is low now, and 
our boat moves slowly for fear of running aground. 
Along the banks we can see many boats fast in the mud, 
and they must wait for the tide to rise before they can 
be floated. We pass under the great Westminster 
Bridge, and the view of the Houses of Parliament from 
the river is more impressive than any we have had of 
them. As we go on, we see that both banks of the river 
are lined with massive buildings. Solid walls keep the 
waters from wearing the soil away. Immense warehouses 
are looking down upon us. Even when we are several 
miles from our starting-point, the sombre walls seem 
always to be following us. 

Our boat stops frequently, and at some of the piers 
crowds are awaiting our arrival. Many have baskets in 
their hands. It is plain to us that the ride on the Thames 
is a favorite one for those who have a holiday. We hear 
Hampton Court and Windsor frequently mentioned, and 
we are aware that some of our fellow passengers are also 
going where we plan to go. 

" The Thames may be busy, but I can't see that it is 
beautiful," laughingly says one of the boys to the Eng- 
lishman who had spoken before. 

" We are too near London, and too near the mouth of 
the Thames for the river to be beautiful yet," replies 
the stranger. " If you should take a trip up the river 
from London, and should go, for instance, by steamer 
as far as Oxford, you would find the water clear enough, 
and you would pass magnificent estates, with green 
meadows sloping to the banks, fine old trees, and pas- 
tures dotted with sheep and herds of cattle. If the day 



THE THAMES 91 

chanced to be like this, it would not be difficult to im- 
agine what the Thames was like when it was the scene of 
water-pageants and contests of various kinds, in the days 
when Henry VIII was king. On your way to Oxford 
you would pass Henley, where we have our annual boat- 
races in July. What a sight that is ! To say nothing of 
the races themselves, the river with its throng of boats, 
decked with bunting, its house-boats, steamboats, and 
pleasure yachts, and the banks lined with men and 
women in their gayest summer clothes — all make the 
scene a lovely one, I assure you." 

" I should enjoy all that ! " says a boy enthusiastically. 

"The Thames is a wonderful river! " continues our 
informant warmly. " It has a double tide which is felt 
eighty miles upstream. Its basin is the most fertile in 
England and the largest also, for the course of the 
Thames is two hundred and fifteen miles. Of course, it 
is much smaller than your great rivers in America. At 
London Bridge, it is only three hundred yards wide, and 
even at its mouth it is but six miles from one side to the 
other. But the fields and gardens, the stately homes, 
and the thriving towns that are found along its course, 
make it the most important river in the kingdom — and 
the most beautiful. Without the Thames and its basin, 
London would be quite impossible. Then, too, as it opens 
directly on the great harbors of western Europe, its 
commerce is tremendous ! Every year fifty thousand 
vessels come up the river." 

At last we arrive at Hampton Court. It is an impos- 
ing pile of red brick and stone, standing in the midst of 
great parks and well-kept grounds. Think of a building 
containing a thousand rooms ! Yet this is true of Hamp- 
ton Court, which was founded by Cardinal Wolsey and 
presented by him to his sovereign, Henry VIII. Oliver 



9 2 



PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR LONDON 



Cromwell at one time occupied the building, but no king 
has lived in it since George II. We learn, however, that 




HAMPTON COURT 



many rooms are now occupied by men of rank who have 
been pensioned by the King. 

We are conducted through some of the rooms, and 
feast our eyes, on wonderful wood-carving, costly tapes- 
tries, trophies and weapons of all kinds. Everything has 
a history ! We stop to look at Queen Anne's bed, and 
at the canopy that once was over the royal throne. We 
pass through the magnificent state apartments, and ad- 
mire the portraits of former court beauties and famous 
men, as well as the pictures of historic scenes and deeds, 
hanging on the walls and painted on the ceilings. It is 
all very fascinating. We feel that we should like very 
much to walk about the garden, as we look out at the 
beautiful beds of flowers and the winding paths. The im- 
mense park of a thousand acres, with its hundreds of deer, 
its pools of curious fishes, and its majestic trees planted 



GREENWICH 93 

by royalty, also tempts us. But our time is limited, and 
we hurry on to visit the remains of the ancient royal 
manor house at Richmond near by. It is late in the 
evening when we return by train to London. 

Another day we make an excursion to Greenwich. 
Here we visit the Royal Naval College, where the fu- 
ture officers of the British Navy are trained. In order 
to protect her great commerce and her vast empire, 
Great Britain has a navy which she plans to keep larger 
than the combined navies of any other two powers. The 
Home Fleet is in six divisions for the protection of the 
British Isles. In addition to this great force, there are 
other fleets, called the Channel, the Atlantic, the Medi- 
terranean, the North American and West Indian, the 
Eastern (assigned to the coasts of China, Australia, Cape 
of Good Hope, and the East Indies), and the West Coast 
of North America. 

Naturally we find in the buildings of the Royal Naval 
College, and in the quadrangle on which they stand, 
busts or statues of famous English naval officers, that of 
Nelson being the largest. Here, too, we see the guns 
that were used in the fight off Cape Trafalgar, or taken 
in various other sea-fights. We learn that there is a 
school here for the sons of British sailors. We visit the 
school, and are told that a thousand boys are enrolled; 
but we cannot find that anything is done for the daugh- 
ters of the seamen. 

On the top of a hill in Greenwich Park is the Royal 
Observatory. This is the meridian from which the Eng- 
lish astronomers make their calculations, and from which 
"longitude east and west from Greenwich " is computed. 
A short distance from the Observatory is the Magnetic 
Pavilion. We are here at one o'clock and we see the 
large colored ball that every day is lowered there to in- 



94 PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR LONDON 

dicate the correct time for all England. We all set our 
watches and declare it is high time for luncheon. 

We stop also at Woolwich, but, greatly to our disap- 
pointment, we learn that visitors are not admitted to the 
Royal Arsenal — an immense establishment that covers 
nearly a square mile. More than twenty-five thousand 
men are employed here in making guns, cartridges, tor- 
pedoes, ordnance, and other material used in war. A 
permit, however, is granted us to enter the grounds and 
buildings of the Royal Military Academy, where cadets 
are trained for the Royal Artillery. 

The next morning, we start in automobiles for Wind- 
sor Castle, situated in the town of Windsor, on the 




WINDSOR CASTLE 



Thames, twenty-two miles up the river from London. 
We are all excitement, for Windsor Castle is perhaps 
the most magnificent home of any king in the world. 

On our way we alight at the little village of Stoke 
Pogis. What a queer name! But we are becoming some- 
what used to the strangeness of English names by this 



WINDSOR 95 

time. Here we visit the grave of the poet Gray in the 
quaint old churchyard — the scene of his famous 
" Elegy," called by many the most perfect poem ever 
written. 

As we near the town of Windsor, a picture that we 
shall never forget dawns upon us. High up on Castle 
Hill, looking down upon the river, stands the noble Wind- 
sor Castle, in the midst of terraces and gardens, its lofty 
Round Tower rising in the centre between the Upper and 
the Lower Ward. No more lovely site for a castle could 
be imagined. 

Windsor Castle was first built by William the Con- 
queror. The present structure shows no trace of the 
style of architecture of his time, for successive kings have 
enlarged and changed it, one building a new tower or two, 
another a gateway, another a chapel, another adding new 
buildings, until it has entirely lost its original appearance. 
The last change or " restoration" was completed by Queen 
Victoria, who was carrying out plans begun by her uncle. 
It was done on a most magnificent scale, at a cost of 
$4,500,000, so that the castle, inside and out, is a mar- 
vel of luxury and splendor. 

Having climbed to the top of the Round Tower, we 
are well repaid by the wonderful view of the Thames 
valley, with its winding river, great meadows, beautiful 
homes, and thriving villages, spread far below us. 

Leaving the tower, we visit in turn the chapels, coun- 
cil-rooms, ballrooms, and library of the castle — all rich 
in statues, mosaics, gildings, rare pictures, and costly 
furnishings. We also have a peep at the plate-closet, with 
its wonderful treasures of silver and gold plate. In the 
gorgeous state apartments, we learn, the rulers of other 
lands are entertained when they pay visits of state to 
England, 



96 PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR LONDON 

Deeply impressive as is the magnificence of Windsor 
Castle, its history is far more so, for it is bound up with 
that of all the royal families of England. As we stand 
on the terrace, we recall that here Queen Elizabeth used 
to walk, and that she hunted in Windsor Forest which 
lies in the distance. As we loiter in the library, we re- 
member that here Queen Anne was having a cup of tea 
with a friend, when the news of the great victory of 
Blenheim was brought to her. 

On the opposite bank of the Thames from Windsor 
Castle, is one of the most famous public schools of Eng- 
land, — Eton, sometimes called Eton College, a visit to 
which we greatly enjoy. The English "public" schools 
are not free like our schools of that name; on the con- 
trary, they are decidedly expensive to attend. We wonder 
why they are called " public," and when we enter the 
school-grounds, we question one of the masters. He in- 
forms us that it is difficult for Americans to understand 
just what the English mean by the word. In a general 
way, he says, the public schools (which were chartered 
by the government) are so called to distinguish them 
from schools that are owned and conducted by private 
parties. Rugby, Harrow, Winchester, and a few others 
in various parts of England, are all famous public 
schools. 

Eton consists of a large number of buildings clustered 
together, many of which are new and handsome. But the 
older ones are far more quaint and attractive to us. 
Some are very old indeed, for Eton was founded by 
Henry VI in 1440, — more than fifty years before Colum- 
bus discovered America. 

A boy who enters Eton lives with perhaps forty other 
boys in a master's house. The boys in the lowest form or 
class are about twelve years of age. At about eighteen 






PUBLIC SCHOOLS 



97 




IN THE QUADRANGLE AT 



ETON 



the Eton boy graduates and goes up to one of the col- 
leges at Oxford or Cambridge. 

Some of the boys of the Sixth Form (or graduating 
class) are selected to be monitors. They are the leading 
spirits, and include the captain of the school football team, 
the captain of the cricket team, and those who by their 
scholarship or character are fit to be leaders in the life 
of the school. In most of the boys' schools in England, 
the monitors have the right to whip the younger boys, 
if they are not obedient to the school rules. Drinking, 
smoking, absence from the school grounds, and telling a 
lie are the four great offences. Beating a boy with a rod 
is called "caning" him, and a "birching" is a beating with 
a bundle of birch twigs. Every one of the younger boys 
is a "fag" of some one of the monitors, and must do his 
errands, bring him his breakfast, and look after the beds 
and fires in his rooms. The monitor may step out of his 



9 8 



PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR LONDON 



room into the hall and in a loud voice call, "Boy!" or 
"Fag!" The fags run quickly at the call, and the last 
to arrive is "it." Fagging is a remnant of feudalism, and 
American boys would not submit to it if the plan should 
be tried in our schools. 

More than a thousand boys are usually in attendance 
at Eton. The work done is hard. An English boy does 




&** <S ^r=T ..-^M 



SCHOOL BUILDINGS AT HARROW 

not know so many things perhaps as his American cousin, 
but what he knows, he knows thoroughly. 

Much of the government of the school is in the control 
of the boys themselves. Athletics is a very important 
branch of school-life, and every one must play cricket, 
tennis, football, fives, and the other games, unless he is 
not well or strong. In fact, athletics is as much a part 
of the course as is Latin or mathematics. There are 
match games in tennis, cricket, and football, between 
various " houses," or one form will play another form, or 



SCHOOL SONGS 



99 



the Sixth Form will play against a team selected from 
all the other forms. There are not so many games be- 
tween different schools as in America, although every 
year there is a football or cricket game between Eton 
and Winchester. Sometimes ten thousand people as- 
semble to watch the cricket-match, which may last two 
days. The football game at Rugby is the basis of the 




A STREET IN HARROW 



Rugby game in America, but most of the English schools 
play the Association game. 

Our visit to Eton is made during the summer vacation 
(July and August). If we were here in term-time we 
might see some of the boys walking about the grounds, 
looking odd enough in their short Eton jackets, broad 
white collars, and high silk hats. In their games, however, 
they wear suits of gray, white, or blue flannel, called 
" flannels." Caps are given as marks of honor to the 
school teams. 



ioo PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR LONDON 

Years ago the boys used to cut their names on the 
doors or panels. One can see now the names of Byron, 
Shelley, Pitt, Fox, Gladstone, and thousands of others, 
which were cut when these great men were schoolboys 
at Eton or Harrow. To-day no one is allowed to do this. 
If he wishes to leave his name, he gives a chair which is 
placed in the assembly hall (" speech hall," it is called by 
the school), and his name in gilt letters is printed on 
one of the panels. 

Every school makes much of its school songs, and 
the songs of Harrow are perhaps the best of all. The 
great song, or anthem, of Harrow is almost as good as 
" Old Nassau " or " Fair Harvard," — perhaps the Eng- 
lish boys think it is better than either. Two of the stan- 
zas are as follows : — 

Forty years on, when afar and asunder, 
Parted are those who are singing to-day, 
When you look back and forgetfully wonder 
What you were like in your work and your play: 
Then it may be there will often come o'er you 
Glimpses of notes like the catch of a song ; 
Visions of boyhood shall float there before you, 
Echoes of dreamland shall bear them along. 

Chorus : — 

Follow up ! Follow up ! 
Till the field ring again and again 
With the tramp of the twenty-two men ! 
Follow up ! Follow up ! 

Forty years on, growing older and older, 
Shorter in wind as in memory long. 
Feeble in foot and rheumatic of shoulder. 
What will it help you that once you were strong? 
God gives us bases to guard and beleaguer. 
Games to play out, whether earnest or fun, 
Fights for the fearless, and goals for the eager, 
Twenty and thirty and forty years on ! 



SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS lot 

There are no schools in England for girls like these 
great public schools for boys. Until recently, if a girl 
wished to go to college, she was prepared in a private 
school or by a tutor. Lately, however, as colleges for 
girls have increased, a stock company, The Girls' Day- 
School Co. Limited, has been formed, and preparatory 
schools for girls have been established at London, Not- 
tingham, Clapham, and many other cities. 

QUESTIONS 

Describe some characteristics of the Thames River, and 
its basin. Why is it so important a river? 

Where are royal visitors to England entertained ? Describe 
the most interesting features of the place. 

For what are Greenwich and Woolwich especially noted ? 

What is an English "public" school? Mention four of 
these schools. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

Mention five reasons why England needs a large navy. 
Describe a visit to Hampton Court. 

Imagine yourself a pupil at Eton College and write to a 
friend a brief descriptive letter of school life there. 



CHAPTER VIII 

TOWNS AND DOWNS IN THE SOUTH 

London at Night — Down the Thames — Gravesend— Margate — Bleak House 
— The Singing Sands — The Garden of England — Maidstone — Chatham — 
Canterbury — Dover— The Channel Crossing — The Downs — Hastings — 
Brighton — Portsmouth — The Channel Islands — Southampton — Isle of 
Wight — New Forest. 

It is dark when we return to London. But the great 
city is a blaze of light, and nearly as many people are to 
be seen in the streets as in the daytime. One of the 
English poets has called London " the city of dreadful 
night," because so many men there turn night into day, 
and are seen only in the hours between sunset and sun- 
rise. " London never sleeps " is another expression fre- 
quently heard. 

After we return to our hotel, we are again busy 
with the maps and routes of southern England. Realiz- 
ing that we cannot go to all the towns that we should like 
to see, we are carefully selecting the most important 
places to visit. Our plan is to go to Dover, on the south- 
eastern coast, and from that ancient harbor pass west- 
ward from one thriving city to another, until we shall 
have gone to Land's End, — the extreme point of south- 
western England. Traveling northeastward again, we 
expect to return to London by the way of Bristol. In 
this manner our journey will be almost a circle, and will 
give us a comprehensive picture of the people, the cities, 
and the life of southern England. 

Some of our party prefer to journey by train to Dover, 
stopping at several places on the way ; while others de- 
cide to go to the mouth of the Thames by boat. We 
shall accompany the latter party. 



ON THE THAMES 103 

In the summer, steamers leave London every day, 
carrying passengers to the resorts at the mouth of the 
Thames. It is high tide when we embark, and as we 
make our way down the river we meet hundreds of ves- 
sels being piloted upstream to London. All the way 
from London to Gravesend, the Thames presents a busy, 
stirring scene. Vessels coming and going, great docks 
and warehouses, parks and gardens, weave themselves 
into the changing picture. We are alert with interest as 
we watch several eight-oared shells, rowed by vigorous 
crews of boys and young men. On the clocks we notice 
many children playing. Perhaps it is all the outing these 
little city-dwellers ever have. 

Gravesend, we are told upon our arrival, is the place 
where pilots board incoming vessels and guide them up 
the narrow channel of the Thames to London. From the 
steamer we catch a glimpse of the narrow, crowded little 
streets in the lower part of this busy town, which is the 
head of the London shipping. An American fellow tra- 
veler on board our boat informs us that Pocahontas was 
buried here, and that only two miles away is Gad's Hill 
where Dickens lived and died. 

Our boat passes on into the broader waters of the 
Thames's mouth, while the shores recede farther and far- 
ther from us. We can now see, from the stakes and buoys, 
how narrow the river channel is. At last we arrive at Mar- 
gate, where we obtain a splendid viewover the mouth of the 
Thames. We land and find ourselves in a place of twenty- 
five thousand inhabitants. Margate is a popular summer 
resort, as are also Broadstairs and Ramsgate near by. It is 
evident that the thousands of visitors here spend most of 
their holiday out of doors. In the evening we join the 
throng which is walking back and forth on the long pier, 
feeling a little as if we were on the board-walk at Atlantic 



:o4 



TOWNS AND DOWNS IN THE SOUTH 



City. Its length is nine hundred feet, we learn, yet we 
can see that it is not so long as the great jetty extend- 




MARGATE. THE JETTY 



ing out into the ocean not far away. There are bands of 
music and places of entertainment on every side, but 
there is not much noise or confusion. Some one has said 
that the English take their pleasures sadly. If he had said 
that they take them quietly he would have been correct. 

The next morning we enjoy visiting the house in Broad- 
stairs in which Dickens passed many of his summers, 
and also the place which was a favorite resort of George 
Eliot. You may remember that the house in Broad- 
stairs in which Dickens lived, Bleak House, is also the 
title of one of Dickens's books. 

We spend a part of our morning on the pier, where the 
American whom we met the previous day on the boat 
stops to greet us. " Yonder," he says, pointing to the sea, 



THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND 105 

" are the Singing Sands where the vessels of the Mer- 
chant of Venice were lost." " They are shoals," he adds, 
" not islands." The idea appeals to us as very romantic, 
although we cannot see any trace of the sands, and we 
feel sure that we shall enjoy reading this play of Shake- 
speare's more than ever now that we have seen the place 
where the Merchant's vessels were wrecked. 

In the evening we go by rail to Dover, where we await 
the coming of our friends. Upon their arrival, they give 
us so vivid an account of their experiences that we wish 
we could have shared them too. 

Having boarded their train at Charing Cross Station 
in London, they soon left behind them the smoke and 
the dingy streets of the great city. It was a glorious 
sunshiny day. The swiftly moving train was soon in Kent, 
bearing them past cultivated fields, pastures in which 
sheep and cattle were grazing peacefully, beautiful 
homes, quaint cottages, and gardens gay with flowers. 
Along: the sides of the smooth roads were lines of dark 
green trees, and fragrant hedgerows everywhere divided 
fields and gardens. Almost every foot of land seemed to 
be under cultivation. 

" It was like a garden ! " exclaims one of the girls, in 
telling of it, " and it really was a garden, because Kent 
is known as the 'garden of England.' You should have 
seen the hop-gardens we passed, acres and acres of them ! 
If we could be there in the early fall, we were told, we 
should see thousands of men, women, and children, gath- 
ered from everywhere, picking hops, because, just think 
— of the fifty-five thousand acres of hops raised in Eng- 
land, two thirds are grown in this little county of Kent! 
They say it is almost a holiday for the hop-pickers, be- 
cause for many of them it is the only time when they 
can leave the hot cities." 



io6 TOWNS AND DOWNS IN THE SOUTH 

" Next we passed through Maidstone, the capital of 
Kent," says a boy, taking up the narrative. "I don't 
know when I have seen so many great breweries, and 
there were immense nurseries, too, — so many that I 
don't see how all the flowers and shrubs they raise can 
be used. If we had taken the direct route to Dover, we 
might have visited Chatham, at the mouth of the Thames, 
which has some of the strongest forts in England to pro- 
tect London from an enemy's fleet." 

"Yes, we've been reading up about Chatham," says 
another boy, " and we are sorry we did n't have a chance 




I «-l 




CHATHAM. THE DOCKYARD 



to visit it. Years ago a Dutch fleet, bent on an invasion, 
came up as far as Chatham, and the English don't intend 
to let another come ! Some of the largest dockyards are 
there. One, the Royal Dockyard, is three miles long. 
They say the largest vessels of the navy can be built at 



CANTERBURY 107 

Chatham. There is a school there, too, in which boys are 
trained for military engineering. You know, England 
does n't have one military school like West Point, or one 
school for the navy like Annapolis, but separate schools 
at different places, in which soldiers and sailors are taught 
special branches." 

"Well, I'm glad we didn't take the direct route to 
Dover," says one of the girls. "I 'd much rather see the 
garden of England. I shall never forget the orchards, the 
farms, and the hop-gardens of Kent !" 

At the ancient city of Canterbury, the party left the 
train, and were greatly interested in the quaint old streets 
and buildings. More than thirteen centuries ago St. Au- 
gustine came to Canterbury from Rome, to make heathen 
England Christian. For many centuries, Canterbury has 
been the centre of the religious life of the English. The 
Archbishop of Canterbury, who receives the same salary 
as the President of the United States, is called the Primate 
of All England, while the Archbishop of York is the Pri- 
mate of England. 

Canterbury Cathedral is one of the most famous in the 
land. The visitor cannot but be impressed by its mas- 
sive towers, its immense nave flooded with light, its chap- 
els, choirs, and transepts. 

" When Geoffrey Chaucer wrote his stories of the Can- 
terbury Pilgrims, he had no idea that more than five hun- 
dred years afterward pilgrims would be coming three 
thousand miles from America to see this place," remarked 
one of the girls thoughtfully. 

The day following the reunion of the party we set out 
together to see Dover. First, we go for a walk along the 
high chalk cliffs that extend for miles along the shore. 
The cliffs are white where the soil has worn them away, 
and we understand now why the early name of England 



108 TOWNS AND DOWNS IN THE SOUTH 

was " Albion " (from the Latin word albus, meaning 
white). The air is clear to-day, and far across the Chan- 
nel we can see the faint outlines of Calais, on the north- 
ern coast of France. How interesting it is to realize that 
we are only twenty-one miles from the nearest point of 
the mainland of Europe. From Dover to Calais, however, 
the distance is twenty-seven miles, and it is the route 
most used in the journey to the Continent. Crossing the 
Channel in the new boats takes only an hour, but it is 
usually an exceedingly rough and disagreeable trip, and 
many of the passengers become seasick. This is because 
the cross tides meet here. 

" How glad everybody will be when the tunnel under 
the Channel is completed ! " exclaims one of the boys, 
as we look out at the rough water of the Strait. 




DOVER CASTLE 



We go up to Dover Castle, which stands on chalk- 
hills three hundred and seventy-five feet above the sea. 
The gloomy old building was built by the Romans and 
is still used as a fort. Far behind is the silverv Thames. 



DOVER 109 

On either side of us, the Strait of Dover is dotted with 
sails and marked by trails of smoke from scores of pass- 
ing steamers. 

The harbor below us, however, is the most interesting 
of all the sights, and we hasten down to view the new 
docks which are being built. These new docks are to be 
over a square mile in extent. What wonderful docks they 
are! Solid, massive, strong, — their stone walls ought to 
outlast the storms of hundreds of years to come. We go 
out upon the long piers, one of which reaches more than 
two thirds of a mile into the water, and we gaze at the 
massive breakwater, fourteen hundred feet long, which 
is nearly a mile out from the shore. Dover is well pro- 
tected. The grim old fort will defend her from England's 
human enemies, and the huge breakwater and piers will 
protect her from the stormy seas. 

" Before we leave Dover/' says one of the men, " I 
want you to notice the difference between the hills here 
and those we shall see in the West of England. There 
they are mostly granite and slate, and that is why the 
harbors on that coast are deep and lasting. The chalk 
cliffs here are soft, and for that reason the coast is grad- 
ually wearing away. Indeed, the English do not call 
Dover, Folkstone, or Newhaven, harbors at all ; but 
'roadsteads.' " 

" Well, they seem to be pretty busy places, whatever 
they are called ! " exclaims a boy. " At least Dover is ! " 

" They surely are. They are really outports of London, 
and -their total trade every year amounts to a billion 
dollars. Being near the Continent, their chief business is 
attending to the transportation of passengers and perish- 
able goods." 

We leave Dover, and our train is soon traveling south- 
ward through a level country, in which numerous marshes 



no TOWNS AND DOWNS IN THE SOUTH 

are seen. It is a region, not of cultivated farms, but of 
great pastures, in which numerous cattle and sheep are 
grazing, and we soon realize that we are passing through 
one of the downs, which are so characteristic of southern 
England. The downs are lands which are too thin to be 
cultivated as farms, but upon which sheep and cattle 
thrive. We remember now that we have heard of South- 
down sheep being imported into America. 

The boys of our party are eager to stop at Hastings, 
where William the Conqueror in 1066 won the great 
battle that made the haughty Normans from France the 
rulers of Saxon England. Hastings to-day is the home of 
seventy thousand persons, and its location on the shore 
makes it a favorite resort both in summer and winter. It 
is too late in the day for us to drive seven miles to the 
village of Battle, where the famous fight came to an end. 
But there is time to walk the entire length of the Prome- 
nade Pier, which extends three hundred yards into the 
ocean. The air is balmy and soft, and we are not surprised 
at the number of old people and invalids being wheeled 
about in the throng. There is also time before dinner for 
us to go to the. ruins of the old castle which William the 
Conqueror founded. From its tower we look across the 
plains and see the very place where the battle ended, 
when Harold, the last of the Saxon kings, fell, pierced by 
an arrow in his eye. 

The next morning we drive to the battle-field. How 
quiet it all is ! There is no sign now that here on this 
plain the fate of a great nation was decided eight centu- 
ries ago. People are riding or walking peacefully about, 
and we have to use our imagination actively to picture 
the scene of the famous battle. We next go to the Heights 
of Senlac, where the Saxons prepared for the fight. An 
Englishman in a party near us declares that the true 



NEAR THE ENGLISH CHANNEL III 

name of the battle should be Senlac and not Hastings ; 
but doubtless it will never be changed. 

At Battle, which is a village of three thousand, we visit 
the old Battle Abbey, which the Norman king built in 
fulfillment of a vow made while he was fighting, that, if 
he should win, he would erect a church on that very spot. 

At Hastings, we take a train for Brighton. We are 
now traveling westward along the coast of southern Eng- 
land, and much of our ride is so near the shore that we 




BRIGHTON FROM THE PIER 



can see the waters of the English Channel dotted with 
sails. There are many steamers passing, too, and among 
them we perceive some beautiful yachts. There is not a 
moment of our journey that is not interesting, and we 
are surprised, when an hour has elapsed, to find ourselves 
at Brighton. 

" This must be the Atlantic City of England ! " exclaims 
one of the boys, as we start out for a walk along the 



H2 TOWNS AND DOWNS IN THE SOUTH 

street that extends for miles beside the sea. The crowds 
certainly remind us a good deal of America's famous 
resort. In addition to Brighton's own large population, 
thousands of summer visitors also are here. Like Atlan- 
tic City, Brighton has no trees except the few which have 
been planted recently. 

Our boys decide to join the crowds that are bathing 
in the shallow waters, and they are amused when they 
find that the bath-house itself is wheeled down to the 
beach for them to step out of conveniently After they 
have had their bath, they once more enter the bath-house, 
and are drawn back from the beach. 

The city of Portsmouth is the next stop on our west- 
ward journey, and we find that it is more interesting than 
any town we have yet seen on the shores of the English 
Channel or the Strait of Dover. It has two hundred 
thousand inhabitants. 

"What a wonderful harbor!" we exclaim, when we 
leave our hotel and walk down to the docks. We look 
across to the opposite shore, four and a half miles away. 
The water is almost as smooth as a pond. The harbor, 
we learn, is seldom rough, because it is sheltered by the 
roadstead of Spithead, which lies between Portsmouth 
and the Isle of Wight and is a protection from the storms. 
We are told that the harbor is so large that all the boats 
in the British navy might find shelter here at the same 
time. Portsmouth, because of its fine harbor, and because 
it is conveniently near London and not far from the shores 
of France, has been made the most important naval arse- 
nal in the kingdom. 

The many soldiers add color to this picturesque city. 
We meet them in their brilliant scarlet uniforms on the 
streets, and indeed everywhere we go. When we learn 
that there are great forts here, we understand why we 



DOCKYARDS 



"3 



see so many redcoats. We obtain admission to the fort 
and stay to watch the soldiers in their daily drill. 

The thought of war is still in our minds when we go 
to the great dockyard that covers three hundred acres. 
In the building-slips, we watch a great force of men at 
work upon some new battleships. What monsters the 
ships are ! Great Britain is building battleships all the 




PORTSMOUTH HARBOR 



time. In the dry docks near by, we see great men-of-war 
being repaired. Certainly, England plans to be ready for 
war at any moment. 

At the Gun Wharf, where we are also admitted by 
permit, we stand before huge cannon and immense piles 
of ammunition. The sight makes us think of war in all 
its horror. Here are hundreds of cannon and hundreds 
of thousands of cannon-balls ! Forts, battleships, dry 
docks, building-slips, soldiers and sailors — all these re- 



ii 4 TOWNS AND DOWNS IN THE SOUTH 

mind us that Portsmouth is a centre, not of the means 
of sustaining life, but of forces that destroy. 

There are not many factories in this city, for the coal and 
iron mines are far away. The greater part of the business 
is in connection with the shipyards, the arsenal, and sup- 
plies for the navy. It is all very interesting, but the 
thought that the city is largely given up to preparing 
for the destruction of life and property is depressing. 
When we depart, we all express the hope that it will be 
long before the guns we have seen will be heard. 

Our next stop is at Southampton, a thriving city, only 
twenty miles up the coast from Portsmouth. Southamp- 
ton, we are glad to find, is unlike the neighboring city, 
for its victories are of peace. Some of our party are 
weary from so much sight-seeing, and it is decided that 
the girls will remain at Southampton for a few days, 
while the boys, whom we shall accompany, go by steamer 
to visit the Channel Islands, and then return to see the 
sights of this busy place. 

When we secure our seats on the mail steamer for the 
Island of Guernsey, we learn that we shall be six hours on 
the water before we land. The sea is calm, and the water 
is sparkling in the sunshine. As we start on our voyage, we 
see hundreds of boats skimming over the waves. There are 
so many that we wonder how they avoid collisions. We are 
not surprised when we are told that in foggy weather 
the English Channel is one of the most dangerous places 
in the world for ships. To-day, however, the scene is al- 
most as full of animation as a boat-race. Pert little vessels 
are darting across the bows of huge steamers; while the 
water is alive with craft of every description, — yachts, 
tugs, and heavily laden schooners, as well as great ocean- 
going steamers. It is hard to realize that busy men are 
sailing most of these boats, and that to-day is not really 



THE CHANNEL ISLANDS 



US 




SAINT PETER PORT, GUERNSEY 



a holiday. As we draw farther away from the shore, the 
number of ships becomes smaller and smaller, and now, 
far away, we watch the glistening sails of vessels bound 
for different ports of Europe. 

At last we are approaching St. Peter Port, the busiest 
little city on the Island of Guernsey. Bold, rocky shores 
are facing us, and great forts, which seem to be frowning 
upon our approach. Our captain must surely know his 
course well, to guide our boat so safely among the rocks 
of this dangerous harbor. Pretty soon we land and go at 
once to our hotel. We are so eager to see the sights of 
St. Peter Port, that we do not long delay there. First, 
we visit the crumbling old castle, and then spend a little 
time in the quaint town church, where we find many 
other visitors. Behind the church, we enter the great 
Market, and join the throng moving from stall to stall. 
Here are bewildering quantities of fruit, banks of gor- 



u6 TOWNS AND DOWNS IN THE SOUTH 

geous flowers, and huge piles of oysters and fish all about 
us, with tempting displays of the early vegetables for 
which this little island is famous. At first we are surprised 
when we hear many people speaking French ; but we 
recall that the Channel Islands are much nearer France 
than England, and that eight hundred years ago they be- 
came a permanent part of the English possessions. The 
great forts we have seen here plainly indicate that Eng- 
land does not intend to lose control of them. The French 
language, however, cannot be changed so easily as the 
ownership of the islands. Through all these years it has 
been used by many of the inhabitants, and is still used 
to-day. 

In the morning we drive along the high, rocky shores 
of Guernsey. We go to the house in which Victor Hugo 
dwelt when he was an exile at St. Peter Port, fifty years 
ago. The study in which the great French novelist wrote 
is still preserved just as it was when he used it. 

In the fields we see cattle so graceful and sleek they 
remind us of deer, and we recall that Guernsey, Alder- 
ney, and Jersey cattle have been largely imported from 
these islands by the United States. What clean and del- 
icate creatures the Guernsey cattle are ! They have the 
most beautiful eyes of all animals. When the ancient 
Greeks wanted to compliment a beautiful girl, they told 
her she was " ox-eyed." As we watch the mild, expres- 
sive eyes of these cattle, we can understand what the old 
Greeks meant. 

Although the Island of Guernsey is less than ten miles 
long and only six wide, and although only forty thousand 
people inhabit it, we find smooth roads and excellent 
tramways wherever we go. We are impressed, too, by the 
love the people show for their island home. 

In the afternoon, a ride of two hours on the steamer 



ALDERNEY 117 

brings our party to Alderney, an island smaller than 
Guernsey, — only four miles long and a mile and a half 
wide. Only two thousand people live here, — no more than 
were on board the steamer that brought us to England. 

As we approach the shore, we easily see that Alder- 
ney is an important military post. On the towering cliffs 
above us are strong forts. Soldiers are here in great num- 
bers, we find, but their presence is not required to keep 
the peaceful people in order. They are here to protect 
the islands from a foreign foe. 

In our drive about the island we see that much of the 
land is planted with early potatoes. Men and women are 
now digging in the fields. We admire the dainty Alderney 
cattle, which have made the little island well known. 
Our greatest surprise, however, is to learn that the Al- 
derney oysters are sold in London for twenty cents each ! 
We think of the fortune one might make in dealing in 
them, but when we are told that oysters are not plenti- 
ful anywhere in the British Isles, we understand why 
they cost so much. 

Our party does not stop at Sark, the third of the Chan- 
nel Islands, because it is still smaller than Alderney and 
only five hundred people live on it. We notice, however, 
as we pass in our boat, the drives on the lofty cliffs. We 
make out, too, some of the wonderful caves along the 
shore. Our captain informs us that years ago these caves 
were the resorts of smugglers. He tells us how daring 
these outlaws were, and that many of them lost their lives 
in the dangerous currents that we see swirling off the 
rocks. 

We stop for a day at Jersey, the largest island of the 
group. This island is ten miles long and six wide, and 
has a population of fifty thousand. Our landing place is 
St. Helier's, the capital. Here we visit the huge fort and 



n8 TOWNS AND DOWNS IN THE SOUTH 

spend a little time in the old castle of the town. Small 
as the island is, it nevertheless has a little railway that 
crosses it. We enjoy our ride on it, going from one end 
of the island to the other, and then back again, in less 
than an hour. Did you ever hear of a shorter railroad 
than that ? Among the passengers on our steamer wasa 
family from Portland, Oregon. They rode three thousand 
miles in the same car on their journey to New York to 




SAINT AUBIN'S, JERSEY 



take the steamer. We think of their long ride while we 
are on the tiny railroad of Jersey. 

From the windows of our car we see wonderful fields 
of early potatoes. There are so many of them that we are 
not surprised when we are told that more than two and 
a half million dollars' worth of this crop are sent every 
year to the markets in London. Jersey is indeed a fertile 
little island. And it is all cultivated, too. The sleek Jer- 



THE ENGLISH CHANNEL 



119 



sey cattle remind us of deer even more than did the 
Guernseys. What most surprises us is to be told that 
the Island of Jersey has a flourishing trade not only with 
England, but also with France, Canada, and Newfound- 
land. No wonder the Jersey people love their little is- 
land. 

The following day we return by boat to Southampton. 
As we draw near the harbor, the wind rises and the waves 
of the English Channel are capped with white. There 
are as many little sailboats to be seen, however, as on 
the day when we departed. We watch the swift little 
craft as they careen until it almost seems to us they 
must capsize. But no accident occurs, and the strong 
wind apparently adds to the pleasure of the sailors. We 




THE PIER AT SOUTHAMPTON 



understand as we watch the stirring scene, how it is that 
so many of the English have become skillful mariners. 



i2o TOWNS AND DOWNS IN THE SOUTH 

We are glad to find the members of our party whom 
we left at Southampton thoroughly rested and ready to 
explore the old harbor town with us. Our first visit is to the 
docks, — the scene years ago (before there wereany docks) 
of some stirring happenings. It was on this very shore 
that King Canute gave his famous rebuke to his flattering 
courtiers, by bidding the ocean retreat. We try to pic- 
ture how Richard the Lion-Hearted and his followers 
looked when they embarked here to go on the Crusade. 
How many times, too, English armies have entered their 
ships from this port when England was at war with 
France ! Finally, we think of how the Pilgrim Fathers 
came from Delfthaven, Holland, to Southampton, sailing 
from here in the Mayflower and the Speedwell to Ply- 
mouth, England ; and how from that harbor they started 
on that wonderful voyage that brought them to the rock- 
bound shores of Plymouth Bay, Massachusetts. 

The scene now, however, is vastly different from those 
we have been recalling. The great docks of stone and 
masonry extend far along the shore ; there are closed 
docks, and dry docks, and more steamers than we are able 
to count, for over three thousand vessels enter Southamp- 
ton every year. We give three cheers when we see the 
American flag floating on some of the ships. We learn, 
however, that many more boats come from Africa, India, 
South America, Australia, and other lands, than from the 
United States. It is difficult for us to understand why so 
much of the American commerce is carried by foreign 
ships. Perhaps you can explain. 

An official informs us that the trade of Southampton 
is valued at $100,000,000 a year, in spite of the fact that 
freight is not so important a factor in the city's business 
as the mail and passenger service. When we inquire why 
this is so, he replies: "The manufacturing centres of 



ISLE OF WIGHT 121 

England are located chiefly in the North, and the exports 
of their mills go through Liverpool. Also, the country 
behind Southampton is not the most fertile part of Eng- 
land, and there are no large rivers in it. But as this har- 
bor is near London, mails and passengers can be carried 
there more quickly from this port than they can be from 
Liverpool. Of course we handle freight too, but most of 
it comes from the East. The voyage from New York to 
Southampton is shorter than from New York to Liver- 
pool, and we are so much nearer London than Liverpool, 
that there has been talk of changing the freight route 
from Liverpool to Southampton. I do not think the 
change will ever be made, however." 

One of our most enjoyable excursions is a steamer 
ride around the Isle of Wight, which is less than six 
miles distant. As the island is twenty-three miles long, 
a day is required for the trip. We pass close to the shore, 
and many beautiful country estates can be plainly seen. 
Grounds artistically laid out in gardens and lawns give a 
delightful background for the fine residences. We see 
attractive towns, some of which are built upon terraces, 
and old gray castles perched high on the rocks. The 
chalk cliffs or hills that extend across the island termi- 
nate off the shore of the island in some curious hio-h 
rocks called "The Needles," which are famous because 
of the many wrecks they have caused in storms and fogs. 
At Cowes we see many beautiful yachts, for the little 
town is the headquarters of the Royal Yacht Squadron. 
We wish we could be here in August, to see the famous 
yacht-races, which continue many days. There are races 
for tiny yachts as well as for those of larger size. More 
than two thousand English sailors are in the employ of 
the squadron, and many of the best men in the British 
navy receive their early training at Cowes. 



122 TOWNS AND DOWNS IN THE SOUTH 

So pleased is our party with our trip that we decide 
to spend a day on the island itself. " I do not wonder 
that Tennyson had a home on the Isle of Wight," says 
one of the girls. " It is almost like fairyland, with its 
cliffs and gardens, its trees and shrubs, and its beautiful 
homes. If I lived in England, I am sure I should enjoy 
spending my summers on the little island, just as many 
English people do." 

We find the fare on the railways of the Isle of Wight 
so high that we decide to make a part of our journey by 
coach. The day proves to be most enjoyable. We visit 
some of the famous watering-places and stop to inspect 
an old bull-baiting ring, which remains much as it was in 
the days when that cruel sport was popular. 

At Newport, the capital, we visit Carisbrook Castle, 
which, many years ago, was the abode of the lord of the 
island. Its crumbling walls are covered with ivy now, and 
yet they do not seem out of place in the midst of the 
quiet life of the present. 

Near Cowes we visit Osborne, which was the summer 
home of Queen Victoria. Here the Queen died in 1901. 
We remember that this sovereign not only was loved by 
her subjects, but also was honored by the world. She was 
a good queen, and, what is still better, she was a good 
woman. 

Another day is given to New Forest, which is not far 
from Southampton. The forest still belongs to the 
Crown, but is not so extensive as it was centuries ago, 
when the kings of England used it as a hunting-ground. 
Now it covers less than a hundred square miles. A part 
of New Forest, we find, is under cultivation, but there 
are still great tracts of timber to be seen. 

We are looking for deer in our ride through the forest, 
but do not see any. Some people say they disappeared 



NEW FOREST 



123 




OSBORNE HOUSE 



long ago, but others declare that occasionally one is still 
found. We do, however, see many pigs searching for 
acorns, and we are almost startled when droves of small 
shaggy horses meet us, then stop and stare curiously at 
us for a moment before they turn and run swiftly for the 
shelter of the forest. 

We stop at the kennels and the keeper shows us his 
dogs. He tells us that years ago, in the reign of William 
Rufus, every dog that entered New Forest, if its owner 
was a private person, was compelled to suffer the re- 
moval of its middle claw. The dogs we see now, how- 
ever, have never been compelled to undergo this cruel 
operation. Many of them are beautiful animals, and 
apparently they are all pleased with their American vis- 
itors. The keeper also informs us that New Forest pro- 
vides many of the timbers for the ships built at Ports- 
mouth, as well as for the yachts which race off the Isle 
of Wight near Cowes. 



124 TOWNS AND DOWNS IN THE SOUTH 

The use of the timbers of New Forest again reminds us 
of the conditions under which much of the business of 
England is done. The shipyards of Portsmouth are near 
the sources of their supplies. So, too, many mills are 
near the mines, and the woolen factories are located in 
the regions where sheep are raised. 

QUESTIONS 

What and where is the " Garden of England " ? For what 
is it best known? 

For what is Canterbury noted ? 

What is the chief route for crossing the Channel to the Con- 
tinent, and why ? Why is the passage so rough ? 

Where is the Isle of Wight ? The Channel Islands ? For 
what is each best known ? 

Locate and describe Southampton and Portsmouth. For 
what is each famous ? 

What relations has Southampton with the United States ? 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

Describe a ride down the Thames to Gravesend. 
Describe a visit to Margate, or Hastings, or Brighton. 
Look up, and write a description of the battle of Hastings, 
and state what was the cause of the battle. 



CHAPTER IX 

MOORS AND MINES 

Rural England — Winchester — Round Table — King Alfred — Winchester 
Cathedral — Winchester School — Salisbury — Stonehenge — A Soldier — Glas- 
tonbury — Devonshire County — Plymouth — Eddy stone Light — Cornwall — 
Tintagel — Mines and Mining Villages — Cornishmen — Land's End — Scilly 
Islands — Bristol — Bath. 

The next day we leave Southampton in automobiles. 
We ride along roads that are hard and smooth but very 
narrow. Along the roadside we see the ever-present 
green hedgerows instead of fences, and they make the 
country so attractive that we wish they were an Ameri- 
can fashion, too. We pass fields of wheat and barley, 
barns with roofs of thatch, and pastures in which herds 
of cattle and flocks of sheep are grazing. In the fields are 
busy farmers who, we notice, use but little machinery, 
almost all the work being done by hand. We pass many 
quaint cottages, and occasionally, extending far back 
from the road, we see the great estate of a proprietor, 
with its stately and often ancient house. Almost every 
estate has been given some historic or romantic name, a 
fashion followed in America, also, by many owners of 
large estates or houses. 

After we have ridden northward twenty-five miles, we 
stop at the quaint little city of Winchester. Hundreds 
of years ago, Winchester was the capital of the Saxon 
kingdom of Wessex, and the home of English kings. 

Our first trip in Winchester takes us to the top of 
the hill where stands the old stone castle in which Par- 
liament used to meet. Entering the ancient building, we 
stand in the hall, and see, on the wall before us, what 
is called the original Round Table of King Arthur, but 



26 



MOORS AND MINES 



is now believed to be merely a curious work of art. What 
a strange "table " it is ! To us it seems to be a huge 
stone wheel, twenty feet in diameter. Painted on it are 
stripes of alternate green and white that resemble the 
spokes of a wheel. The name of each knight is printed 
in Latin at the end of each "spoke," indicating his place 
at the table. 

Leaving the old castle, we retrace our steps down the 
hilly street. It is a very narrow street, and the little 
houses are very strange. Every one has its doorstep on 
the sidewalk. After stopping for tea at the inn with the 



*. \tm ii " if . 




■fe, "^ 


uraraS^Bfilr 




m '-'■'' ' In 




Bra J^ ; 

M. 



A TYPICAL ENGLI! 



INN 



strange name of "God Begot House," we resume our 
walk, and soon come to a heroic statue of King Alfred. 
His face of stone is so gentle and yet so patient and 
strong in its expression that we do not blame the Eng- 
lish for cherishing the memory of this great and good 



WINCHESTER 



127 



King if the statue truly represents him. We enter the 
grounds of the old Abbey, where the winding paths, the 
beds of flowers, and even the little stream that flows 
through them, all are eloquent of quiet and peace. On a 
sun-dial in these grounds we read a curious Latin motto 
which means, " I do not count the hours unless they are 
happy ones." It seems to explain the purpose of the 
people throughout the South of England. 

Along a path shaded by immense lime trees, we go to 
the cathedral, which is the longest church building in 
England and also one of the oldest, having been built 
in the eleventh century. We keep on our way to the 
buildings of the famous Winchester School, founded by 
William of Wykeham in the fourteenth century. The 




WINCHESTER SCHOOL 



seven hundred boys in attendance are commonly called 
Wykehamites, as the boys of Eton are known as Etonians, 
and those of Harrow, as Harrovians. The motto of the 
school, " Manners maketh man," was given by the founder. 



128 MOORS AND MINES 

Winchester, it would appear, has changed but little 
for several centuries. The streets, the buildings, the ca- 
thedral, and even the school, are much as they were 
years ago. In the dining-room of the school dormitories, 




THE DINING-ROOM AT WINCHESTER SCHOOL 

we see at each place on the table a little thin square 
piece of board. These are trenchers. The boys eat from 
them to-day. When we express our surprise that plates 
or dishes are not provided, our guide replies quietly, 
"We have used trenchers since the fourteenth cen- 
tury." 

"In America some of us think the latest improve- 
ments are best," suggests one of our boys. 

"I fear you Americans do not have a very keen sense 
of history," replies the guide. 

On our way to our hotel, we stop and enter a shop to 
purchase some pictures. The man who has served us 
says, as we are about to depart, "Pardon me. Hi do not 



RURAL ENGLAND 129 

mean to be himpertinent, but can you hexplain why 
Americans 'ave a twang ?" 

"I do not know that I can," laughingly replies one of 
our party. " If we do have a twang, perhaps it is due to 
a habit, like that of the English, who drop the • h ' 
where it belongs and then make matters even by using 
an 'h' where it doesn't belong." 

" Hupon my word ! " replies the smiling inquirer. " We 
do misuse hour haitches, don't we ? Hi believe we do, 
but hi don't think hi hever 'eard hof it before." 

We pass the night at a quiet little inn, which has 
adjoining it one of those quaint gardens peculiar to 
English inns. Its winding paths and beds of roses tempt 
us to walk there after dinner. Some cages of brilliant- 
hued English pheasants are kept here, and we stop in 
the long evening twilight (so much longer than in Amer- 
ica) to admire their gorgeous colors. 

Early the following morning we are riding westward 
in our automobiles. We pass many little villages, but we 
do not find any large cities. As we proceed, the coun- 
try grows more and more attractive. The fields are larger 
than those we saw yesterday, although still much smaller 
than in our country. The people all seem quiet and 
happy, and we recall that not nearly so many come to 
America from the South of England as from the North. 
Perhaps they are too contented with their present way 
of living and with their pleasant country, — as indeed 
they have much reason to be. It is living in or near 
large cities that makes people restless, and ambitious to 
better their condition. At Salisbury, we stop for lunch- 
eon. We visit the great cathedral with its towering, 
graceful spire. Soon, however, we enter our automo- 
biles and ride nine miles to Stonehenge. 

Here we see the remains of some huge altars' that 



130 



MOORS AND MINES 




SALISBURY CATHEDRAL 

were built no one knows how, or by whom, or how many 
years ago. How interesting it is to feel that we are look- 
ing upon the works of a people who were living here 
long before Old England received its name! In response 
to our questions, our guide informs us that some learned 
men maintain that these altars were erected by the 
Danes. Others believe that the Saxons, or even the an- 
cient Phoenicians from beyond the Mediterranean Sea, 
built them. Most agree, however, that the stones are all 
that is left of some temple for the worship of the sun 
or of serpents. Perhaps the Druids used them for their 
terrible rites, in which human beings were sacrificed to 
their gods. 



A YOUNG SOLDIER 131 

If we had more time we should like to go to the little 
villages of Wilton and Axminster, not faraway. It would 
be interesting to see some of the famous carpets in pro- 
cess of making. We decide, however, to push forward. 

"We can see the wool even if we cannot see the car- 
pets into which it is made," laughs one of the boys, as 
we pass many flocks of sheep. 

Before we depart from the hotel in Salisbury, one of 
the party enters into conversation with a young soldier 




STONEHENGE 

who is here waiting for a train. " I have been away from 
home nine years," says the young "redcoat." "I have in 
that time seen a good many lands, but to me none is so 
beautiful as Somersetshire where I was born." 

"Why did you enlist?" 

"My mother is a widow and poor, and we needed the 
money." 

"Are you to remain long?" 

" My furlough is three weeks. When the time is gone, 
I must go back to Malta. If I stay in the army twelve 



132 



MOORS AND MINES 



years more, I can then retire on a pension. I love Eng- 
land. You cannot understand what it means to me to 
come home. I shall see my dear mother, too. I was only 
a boy fourteen years of age when I last saw her." 

The young soldier's eyes are moist as he speaks. We 
all see now what the life of an English soldier may mean. 

It is early in the evening when we arrive at the an- 
cient village of Glastonbury and secure rooms in a hotel. 
This hotel, like many in the rural regions, is managed 
by a woman. She proudly informs us that the hotel 
was built in the reign of Henry VII. As she conducts 
two of our boys to their room, she says, as she is about 
to depart, "King Henry VIII and his queen once occu- 
pied this very room." 

"That old courtyard down there, paved with stones, 
— these little windows, — even these old beds, — make 




THE VALE OF AVALON 



me think our landlady was n't far from the truth," ex- 
claims the boy, as he glances about him. 



AVALON 



133 



Glastonbury is located in what, in King Arthur's day, 
was the "Vale of the Avalon." The "river," however, 
has long since disappeared, and the marshes and islands 
of those ancient days have been parts of a fertile valley 
ever since the land was drained years ago. There is a 
tradition that Christianity was first introduced into Eng- 
land at Glastonbury by Joseph of Arimathaea, mentioned 




RUINS OF GLASTONBURY ABBEY 

in the Bible. Whether true or not, the ruins of one of the 
oldest abbeys are here. We visit them one evening, when 
the moonlight is flooding with silver fallen towers, crum- 
bling, ivy-covered walls, and ancient grounds, and when 
we can feel all the poetry and magic of the place. What 
wonderful tales, we think, of bygone days these stones 
might tell if they had voices ! We are glad to remember 
that a wealthy American has recently made a gift to the 
fund raised to preserve these old walls from further decay. 



134 MOORS AND MINES 

On the morrow we push forward into Devonshire, the 
third largest of all the counties. We soon turn south- 
ward, and our ride becomes more interesting, at times 
almost exciting. Our road leads across great tablelands, 
where we see only scattered homes. Sheep and herds of 
cattle are feeding in the pastures. We ride for miles in 
the midst of dreary, desolate bogs, and again, we cross 
the borders of a great forest that has been preserved for 
centuries. A part of our way lies along great cliffs that 
hang over the sea. It is all wild and romantic. 

As we continue southward, we soon come again into 
the midst of fertile lands. We are glad to be where there 
are fine farms once more, — indeed, we are now passing 
some of the best dairy farms in England. We see many 
acres devoted to the raising of berries. We stop at 
Exeter to visit the attractive cathedral there. Resum- 
ing our journey we are soon flying past green-clad hills 
and through deep valleys, made more picturesque by 
many little mountain streams and sparkling waterfalls. 

We see little villages built about mining shafts ; in- 
deed, much of the wealth of Devonshire is found in the 
mines and granite quarries. 

At last we arrive at Plymouth, — a seaport and the 
largest city in southwestern England. We have greatly 
enjoyed our ride through Devonshire, and can never for- 
get the moors, the cliffs, the bogs, the forests, the fer- 
tile farms, and the mining towns that we have seen. We 
are glad, however, to be in this historic city. 

The morning after our arrival, we leave our hotel and 
walk down to the docks of the busy harbor. We fancy 
we can see Francis Drake, the great admiral of Queen 
Elizabeth's age, and his men, sailing from Plymouth 
harbor in the Golden Hind on their quest for adventure 
in the New World. Captain Cook, the celebrated navi- 



PLYMOUTH 



135 



gator, who gained for England the great region of Aus- 
tralia, also sailed from here, we remember. Then we re- 
call how the sturdy little band of Pilgrims embarked 
from here to find new homes and freedom in America. 
It seems to us we can almost see the Mayflower and her 
crowded little decks. What courage and hope these 
people had ! What sufferings they endured on shipboard, 
and, later on, in their new homes ! We are proud of them 
all. Somehow, we realize better than ever before what 
the freedom of America 
has cost. To-day there is 
a steamer from America 
landing her passengers 
here before she proceeds 
farther on her way. The 
fine safe harbor is about 
three miles in extent. In 
spite of its harbor, how- 
ever, Plymouth is not 
nearly so busy a port as 
some others. Its loca- 
tion is too far from the 
big cities to secure many 
large cargoes. We visit 
the immense dockyards, 
and wonder how Eng- 
land can use all the ships 
sheis building. Thehuge 
arsenals also interest us, 

but as we have previously seen such places, we do not 
linger long in them. 

We should like very much to go by steamer to see the 
famous Eddystone lighthouse. When we are informed 
that people are not permitted to land, we abandon our 




EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE 



136 MOORS AND MINES 

plan of going to see the great light that stands one hun- 
dred and thirty-five feet high, on one of the most perilous 
rocks in the English Channel. We have heard the story 
of the first three structures that were washed away. The 
present is the fourth building and cost $400,000. It is 
believed that this can stand against the wildest storms. 

It is early in the morning when we start for Cornwall, 
— the extreme southwestern part of England. The wind 
sweeps against our faces as we ride across the bleak and 
barren moors. Scarcely a tree is to be seen anywhere, 
and, at times, our road winds through great stretches of 
bogs. It is not strange that one finds only a few scattered 
houses in the region. 

We stop a little while at the lofty height on which 
Tintagel Castle stands, and enjoy the wonderful view to 
be had from its walls. It is said that many years ago 
Tintagel was the castle of King Arthur. As we realize 
that we are in King Arthur's land, the fascinating tales 
written about him and his Knights of the Round Table 
come to our minds. 

We soon resume our journey and move southward. 
The country is even more hilly than that through which 
we have just passed. The air, however, is very soft and 
balmy, and the frequent showers that fall do not seri- 
ously trouble us. 

Now we are passing through many little villages. The 
most important part of each village seems to be a mining 
shaft. These rugged hills about us are richer than the 
fertile farms of Somerset, for they produce minerals, — 
tin, copper, zinc, and iron. In Cornwall, too, we learn 
that there are valuable beds of clay from which fine 
pottery is made. There are deep quarries of granite, of 
which large quantities are shipped away for building pur- 
poses. We are somewhat puzzled, however, at not seeing 



AMONG THE CORNISHMEN 137 

many factories. We shall learn later how and where the 
tin and copper mined in Cornwall are made into useful 
articles. 

It seems hard to believe that some of these mines 
extend three miles or more under the bottom of the sea, 
and yet it is true. The mines have been worked for 
many centuries. Even the old Romans and Phoenicians 
used to come here for tin. 

Our guide informs us that many of the copper mines 
are not worked now, and that more copper was mined 
fifty years ago than to-day. The reason for this is that 
new and more valuable deposits of copper have been 
found in America and other lands. 

"There are more Cornish miners in America than 
there are in Cornwall now," explains our guide. "You 
will find them in Michigan, Arizona, Montana, Nevada, 
and even in New Mexico," he adds. Can you think of 
a reason for this ? 

We are deeply interested in the Cornish people. Their 
dialect is strange to us, but it is musical, and we enjoy 
hearing the people speak. Most Cornishmen are tall and 
strong, and have dark hair and eyes. They are very fond 
of open-air meetings such as Wesley once held among 
them. Sometimes thirty thousand assemble at one of 
these meetings. 

We stop one day to watch some fishermen returning 
with their catch to the shore. They have enough mack- 
erel and other fish to fill many barrels. The wealth of 
Cornwall is taken from the hills and from the sea. 

As we ride along the wild rocky coast, we notice 
many little bays or coves, at one time the resorts of dar- 
ing smugglers. We see many artists sketching, and we 
meet people on walking tours. Every one has a word of 
greeting for us. They have come to spend their holiday 



138 MOORS AND MINES 

in Cornwall — this long arm of rock projecting into the 
sea. 

"Look at the palm trees growing here!" exclaims 
one of the girls, pointing to some trees in a nearby 
garden. 

"Yes," responds her father, "you will find many semi- 
tropical plants in Cornwall." 

" And yet we are as far north as Labrador ! Of course, 
the climate here is very mild." 

"Yes," replies the father, "the warm Gulf Stream 
off the coast causes the mild climate." 

We alight from our automobiles at the Lizard, the tip 
of the headland. We see here tall poles used for sending 
wireless messages. We keep on our way to Land's End, 




LAND'S END 



which is the extreme point of land. We are now farther 
out in the Atlantic than we could be in any other place 
in England. The day is clear, and far away in the west 
we can faintly see the Scilly Islands. 



BRISTOL 139 

"These islands," explains one of our party, "will be 
the last land we shall see when we sail for home. The 
next will be the shore of Long Island." 

" How many of the Scilly Islands are there ? " inquires 
one of the boys. 

"About fifty. They are all small. Only five are inhab- 
ited, and St. Mary's is the largest." 

" How do the people there live ? " 

"They raise early vegetables and flowers for the Lon- 
don markets, keep the lighthouses, and catch fish off 
the shore. It is a lonely life." 

Our days in Cornwall have come to an end. We have 
enjoyed every hour. The wild cliffs, the deep coves, the 
hills and moors, the mines, the cherry orchards in the 
narrow little valleys, the kindness of the Cornish people 
— even storm-swept Land's End, have all added to the 
pleasure of our visit. Still we are glad to start northward. 
Our swift automobiles require only a few hours to bring 
us to Bristol. There we dismiss the automobiles, because 
we expect to return to London by train. 

We have learned that Bristol is the seventh city of 
England in population, that, next to Liverpool, it is the 
largest port in England, and that it is situated on the 
Bristol Channel. The following morning we go down to 
the harbor. What marvelous tides rise and fall in the 
Channel ! The marks on the docks show us that the tides 
rise forty feet ! No other harbor in England or in Europe 
has such tides. 

Our guide recognizes us at once as Americans, and 
while he is conducting us along the docks, he says : 
"Years ago we had a larger trade with America than 
any other English city. We are on the western coast, 
you see, and have one of the best harbors in the king- 
dom." 



140 MOORS AND MINES 

"Why don't you have the trade now?" inquires one 
of our boys. 

" We do have a good trade, but we have not been 
sufficiently enterprising to hold what we had. We are 
building a new outport, but 'tis much harder to catch up 
than to keep up." 

"What is the value of your entire foreign trade now?" 

" It is less than half what Southampton has, and she 
is only a third as large as Bristol. Once we controlled 
all the trade in tobacco and sugar. You will find buildings 
here in which tobacco, soap, glass, leather, brass, and 
copper are manufactured, but too much of the business 
has been taken from us. We still do a good deal of trade 
with America and Ireland, but it is not what it once 
was." 

"You have a fine country behind you. That ought to 
provide business for Bristol." 

" Yes. There are seven rivers that empty into Bristol 
Channel. The largest is the Severn, which rises in the 
mountains of Wales. Then you know, too, that Bristol is 
situated at the mouth of the Avon. All these rivers 
naturally bring the trade of their basins to us. That is 
not small, but 'tis not much like the trade we 've lost 
from America." 

In our walks about Bristol the following day, we learn 
that the city is large, but not enterprising ; neither is it 
as beautiful as some. We enter a few large public build- 
ings and visit the college, but we shall remember the 
immense docks longer than anything else. 

Our party is tired. The past days have been filled 
with interest for every one of us. Still we are glad when 
it is decided to go to Bath, ten miles distant, and there 
rest for a day or two. When we are again comfortably 
settled in our hotel in Bath, we find we are still eager to 



AMONG STRANGE PEOPLE 



4i 



see the places of interest in this famous old town. We 
are informed that the city has been famous for its min- 
eral springs since the days when the Romans came here. 

In our walks we find that many of the streets are in 
the form of a crescent and are built on terraces, some 
of which are 
six hundred 
feet high. 
What inter- 
ests us most, 
however, is 
the throngs 
of people 
who have 
come from 
almost every 
known land. 
We see men 
from India 

walking about in a garb that reminds us of a highly deco- 
rated bathrobe. Turks are here, and Greeks, Italians, 
Spaniards, Germans, and Russians, as well as many 
English and Americans. 

We decide that we, too, will try the baths. We go to 
a large building which is named "The Great Pump 
Room." Over the portico we see inscribed a motto in 
Greek, which one of our party translates for us : " Water 
is best." Here we have a bath in the hot mineral water. 
We laughingly declare when it is ended that we never 
had such a hot bath before and do not want another. 

The throngs of people, the terraced streets, the beauty 
of the surrounding region, the memories of those early 
days when the conquering Romans visited Bath, all com- 
bine to make us glad when we depart that we have seen 




AN ANCIENT BATH 



i 4 2 MOORS AND MINES 

this famous resort. Our trip through southwestern Eng- 
land has impressed us again with the lesson we learned 
in the Midlands. The old and the new are both found 
in the life of the present. We have seen places that 
were known to nations much older than the English. We 
have found, however, that to-day these same places are 
busy with the industries which made them known many 
centuries ago. Old England is still making history. 

QUESTIONS 

What are some of the differences between farming in Amer- 
ica and England ? 

Tell what you know concerning the ancient capital of Eng- 
land, and its places of historic interest. 

Why are there so few large cities in the south of England, 
and how does their scarcity affect the people here ? 

What and where is Stonehenge ? 

Mention three important industries of southern England, 
and the reason for each. 

Where is Plymouth, and for what is it famous ? 

What and where was King Arthur's castle ? 

Describe the Cornish country, and its chief industries. 

What and where is Land's End ? 

Where is the Bristol Channel ? What rivers empty into it ? 

Where are the highest tides in England, and what is the 
cause of them ? 

Compare Bristol and Liverpool. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

Compare the opportunities of an English boy with those of 
a boy in the United States. 

Look up and tell briefly the story of King Alfred the Great. 
Describe a day at Bath, 



CHAPTER X 

THE GRAY CITIES OF THE NORTH 

Salisbury Plain — Cambridge — Girton College — Rugby — Norfolk — Suffolk 
— Harwich — Yarmouth — Fishing Fleets — Norwich — Leicester — Derby — 
Sheffield — Villages of Northern England — Bradford — Leeds — Yorkshire — 
Hull — Newcastle — Mines — English Lakes — Coaching — Carlisle. 

After we have rested two days at Bath, we start to 
return to London. Our journey is directly eastward, 
through a level country, which is all under cultivation. 
We see occasional spots of white in the soil, where the 
chalk, which is the common rock, breaks through the 
surface. Rain is falling. Through the heavy mist the red 
brick houses with their thatched roofs look more quaint 
and picturesque than ever. Yet we wonder how damp- 
ness is kept out of such roofs. One of our girls sug- 
gests that vermin must thrive in them. We conclude that 
we prefer roofs of slate or shingles. 

Passing through the borders of Salisbury Plain, we 
see thousands of soldiers encamped. We learn that every 
summer Great Britain sends many regiments here to be 
trained in mimic war for the sterner struggles that may 
come. We see soldiers marching on the plain, some on 
foot and some mounted, and we are delighted with the 
brilliant uniforms, the prancing horses, and the white 
tents, as well as with the inspiring music of the military 
bands. 

So many cattle and sheep are in the fields, that it is 
easy for us to understand that the chief sources of 
wealth in the basin of the Thames, through which we 
are riding, are cheese and cream. We dart through many 
villages, but pass no large cities. In a few hours we are 
once more in London. 



144 THE GRAY CITIES OF THE NORTH 

The day following our arrival we start northward, 
making our first stop at Cambridge. Here we visit the 
great university — the rival of Oxford. The founder of 
Cambridge University is not known. There is a legend 
that it was founded by Cantaber, three hundred years 
before Christ was born. Whether this is true or not, the 
graduates are called Cantabrians. 

We learn that there are eighteen colleges in the univer- 
sity, and that some of them have the same names as the 
Oxford colleges. We visit Trinity first of all, because it 
is the largest college in England. In all the colleges 
we find quadrangles, courts, towers, and chapels, which 
remind us of those we saw at Oxford. Three thousand 
students are enrolled in the university, many of whom 
have remained for special study during the long vacation. 

Behind the colleges we find the little river Cam. We 
see many little boats on the stream, and we ourselves hire 
small flat-bottom boats, called punts, which our boys pole 
for us. The Cam is so narrow that only " bump races " ' 
can be rowed on it. We pass the "backs" — great 
stretches of green lawns that extend along the banks of 
the river — on which are the cricket and football fields 
and the scores of tennis courts. There are paths beside 
the little river, as well as beautiful walks across the 
meadows. The walks are lined with huge spreading 
lime trees, so old that no one knows when they were 
planted. 

What an inspiring sight it all is ! The old walls of the 
colleges, the winding little Cam on which students are 
canoeing, the long rows of immense trees, the deep 
green of the " backs," the dignified professors, walking 

1 In a " bump race," the boats are not rowed side by side, but 
one behind the other. If the boat that starts second is faster than 
the one that starts first, it may not pass but only "bump " its rival. 



A COLLEGE FOR WOMEN 145 

about in their caps and gowns, the many graceful bridges 
across the stream, the massive towers and turrets — all 
make a picture that we shall not soon forget. We decide 
that the university is more beautiful than Oxford, al- 
though the city of Cambridge itself is not so attractive 
as her rival. 

In the afternoon, we drive two miles to Girton — one 
of the two colleges here for women. We ride along a 
smooth road, first built by the Romans. On either side of 
us are beautiful homes and gardens. As we enter the well- 
kept grounds of Girton College, we see before us a series 
of long low buildings, of red brick — a most attractive 
sight. 

When we are conducted through the buildings, we 
see that every student has a sitting-room and bedroom 
to herself. In the reading-room we find our own Vassar 
College paper with other magazines on the tables. In 
the library we see books containing the autographs of 
such authors as Tennyson, George Eliot, and many 
others who presented their works to the college. Unlike 
the university, Girton College is new — only a little 
more than twenty-five years old ! In that time, the Gir- 
ton students have taken many of the honors in the 
Cambridge University examinations. Of these honors, 
one hundred and ninety-two were in mathematics. Think 
of that when you hear some one say girls are not good 
in that subject! 

The students of Girton attend the university lectures, 
but Cambridge does not give them any degrees, for, like 
Oxford, Cambridge is only for men. Some of the Scotch 
or Irish colleges, however, do grant degrees when the 
course at Girton is completed. 

The woman who has conducted our party inquires 
when we enter our carriages, " Are American girls fond 



146 



THE GRAY CITIES OF THE NORTH 



of outdoor sports ? Our girls are as fond of tennis and 
hockey as they are of their books." 
What do you think our reply was ? 
Our party is once more divided when we depart from 
Cambridge the following day. The girls and their 
mothers wish to visit some of the cathedral towns and 
go to the Lake District in the Cumbrian Hills where 
Wordsworth once lived. 

The boys, however, prefer to go to some of the busy 
cities in the north. For a time we will journey with 
them. 

Our first visit is at Rugby, where Tom Brown (his 
real name was Hughes) went to school. Indeed, we find 

his name, carved by 
itself, in the panels of 
one of the schoolrooms. 
We go, too, into the 
room where timid lit- 
tle Arthur received the 
shower of boots when he 
knelt to say his prayers, 
and Tom came to his 
rescue. 

It is holiday time, and 
we do not see any of the 
seven hundred boys. We 
walk through the build- 
ings, however, and cross 
the green fields where 
the games are played. 
We enter the chapel and 
are glad to see the por- 
trait of Dr. Arnold, once headmaster of Rugby and one of 
the greatest teachers England ever had. What a strong 




ENTRANCE TO THE HEADMASTER'S 
HOUSE AT RUGBY 



RUGBY SCHOOL 147 

yet tender expression he had ! No wonder the boys loved 

him as they did. He tried to make every one do his best. 

Rugby pleases us more than any English school we 

have seen, perhaps because it reminds us more of our 




QUADRANGLE AT RUGBY, SHOWING THE BOYS' STUDIES 

own schools. It is both old and new. It tries to keep all 
that was good in the old, and at the same time to gain 
what is best in the new. We are informed that each 
year, for the past five years, twice as many Rugby boys 
have won scholarships, when they have gone up to Ox- 
ford or Cambridge, as have the boys from any other 
school in England. 

Our driver has come for us, so we start at once for 
the station. What an attractive little town Rugby is, we 
think, as we ride through its clean, well-kept streets, 
with their fine houses, each one of which has a little 
flower garden in front. A high brick wall shuts out some 



148 THE GRAY CITIES OF THE NORTH 

of the houses from our view, yet we know that these 
houses, if we could see them, would look very inviting. 

We are impressed, too, by the station at Rugby — an 
immense structure. One can take a train here for almost 
any part of England. As we give our driver his fee, we 
inquire : " Are the Rugby people interested in the 
school ?" 

" Yezzir," he proudly replies. " The lads are all fine 




RAILWAY STATION AT RUGBY 

fellows. They are honest and true. If a boy is not like 
that, he is sent home, sir." 

Soon we are riding swiftly eastward toward the coast. 
We pass through Norfolk, which we recall is the county 
where the north folk lived, just as the county south of 
us, Suffolk, was the home of the south folk years ago. 

We stop for a little while at Harwich, on the coast, 
and visit the docks from which lines of boats daily de- 
part for Hamburg or the Hook of Holland or Antwerp. 
It seems to us that the traffic between England and 



FISHERMEN 149 

western Europe is so great that the boats come and go 
almost as often as ferries. 

A brief ride northward brings us to Yarmouth. As 
we walk about the quaint town, we see some streets or 
"rows" not more than six feet wide. Many of the peo- 
ple we meet are fishermen, and the odor of fish is in the 
air. The next morning, when we go down to the docks, 
we understand why it is so, for we see men filling hun- 
dreds of barrels with mackerel which have been caught 
in the shallow waters off the coast. The tide rises here only 
six feet — very different from the tide in Bristol Channel. 

We inquire of a fisherman on the dock, " Where are 
the fish shipped ? " 

" Lunnon [London] most like," he replies. " Yarmouth 
is a great place for shipping fish, though Great Grimsby, 
down the coast, ships more than we do. They have 
twelve hundred craft in their fishing fleet and eight thou- 
sand men and boys in the trade." 

" Do you know what the annual catch of Great Brit- 
ain is worth ? " 

" Includin' the cod, flatfish, and 'addock brought in 
from the North Sea, it 's worth $45,000,000, as you 'd say 
in the States. 'T is an himportant business to us, sir." 

" Have the fishermen any other work ? " 

" Nothin' hexcept the navy, sir. The best sailors in 
the British navy come from the fishin' fleets o' Great 
Yarmouth. 'T is a hard school, but a good one." 

We leave the docks and go to the long " walks" (fac- 
tories) in which we see fishlines made. Fish-nets, too, 
are made here — a fitting trade for such a town. 

Instead of following the coast now, we decide to go 
inland for a little while, where many of the manufactur- 
ing towns are located. We board our train at noon, pre- 
ferring to have our luncheon served in the dining car. 



150 THE GRAY CITIES OF THE NORTH 




FISHING VESSELS AT YARMOUTH 



We are surprised when we are informed that the dining 
cars are divided into three "classes," just as are the 
other " carriages." We secure seats in the first class 
and are well served. 

We are soon in Norwich, the most important town in 
this region. We secure rooms in a hotel, and soon we 
are walking up the hill on our way to the great cathedral. 
We recognize in the solid and massive walls and towers 
of the building more of the Norman style of architecture 
than we have seen in any other cathedral, and we un- 
derstand the reason for it when we learn that it was 
begun soon after the Normans conquered England. 

We go from the cathedral to the high mound on which 
the old castle stands. The castle is now used as a mu- 
seum. Playgrounds and public gardens surround it, and 
in them many children are playing. We try to forget 
those dreary days that prisoners spent long ago in its 
gloomy dungeons. 



NORWICH i 5l 

In the evening, the manager of our hotel proudly talks 
to us about the city. " Norwich," he says, "once had a 
fine harbor, here at the junction of the two rivers you 
have seen. The rivers are still here, of course, but they 
have brought so much soil from the hills that the har- 
bor is filling. If you will come back a bit later, I '11 show 
you the finest wild fowl in the kingdom in the marshes 
made by this new ground. Gentlemen come here every 
autumn to shoot. Norwich also sends the best geese and 
turkeys that enter the London market." 

" What is the population of Norwich ? " 

"A hundred and fifteen thousand — and growing all 
the time. Our immense breweries, iron works, and silk 
mills are building up the town. We manufacture more 
mustard, and in more forms, than any other city in the 
world. On the fens and fields back of the city for miles 
you can see little but mustard growing." 

The following morning we go to some of the immense 
plants where starch and mustard are manufactured. In 
one establishment we find two thousand people busy, 
putting up mustard in more forms than we had thought 
possible. We recognize in the names of some of the 
manufacturers those which we have often seen at home. 
The pungent odor of mustard fills the air. We are sneez- 
ing when we depart from the building. 

Our next journey is to Leicester, a hundred miles 
west of Norwich. Our train moves so swiftly that we 
arrive in about two hours. In our ride we have passed 
through many little manufacturing towns, very different 
from the quiet places we saw in southern England. In 
the country we have seen flocks of sheep, with fine long 
wool. Many herds of cattle are in the fields. The grass 
and even the trees are of a deeper green than we have 
seen elsewhere. 



152 THE GRAY CITIES OF THE NORTH 

When we draw near Leicester, the air is damp and 
the day is cloudy. One of the boys suggests that it will 
soon rain. 

"I think not," replies his father. "The fact is that 
Leicester has three hundred hours less sunshine than 
some places in England. Cornwall is the sunniest part, 
and this is the most cloudy. The prevailing winds are 
from the southwest, and these drive the moist air against 
the hills in the west of England, or the Pennine Range 
which is just above us, and the mist is condensed into 
rain or fog. The Pennine Range, as you know, is called 
the backbone of England. The dampness helps Leices- 
ter in two ways: it is just what the city needs for its 
woolen industries, and it makes fine pastures for the 
cattle in the country near by. What factories do you 
think we shall find in Leicester ? " 

"We have seen so many long-wooled sheep, I think 
we shall find woolen mills," says one of the boys. 

"Yes, Leicester and Leeds are the most important 
centres of woolen manufacturing in the world. The coal- 
mines near by are of course a great aid. What other in- 
dustries shall we probably see ? " 

" We saw so many cattle, perhaps shoe factories are 
there." 

" Hundreds of them ! The damp air and the quality 
of water in the little river Soar make Leicester an ex- 
cellent place for cotton mills, too. We shall see many of 
them, as well as some immense factories in which elastic 
goods are made." 

The morning after our arrival in Leicester, we visit 
the woolen mills. It seems to us there are miles of them. 
The clatter of looms is almost deafening. We see the 
wool just as it comes to the mills, and then we see it 
after it has been made into cloth or garments. 



DERBY 153 

In our ride about the city, we find that Leicester, 
though a busy place, is not beautiful. We see a few 
imposing public buildings, and we stop before a lofty 
clock-tower 145 feet high. We see the old walls, behind 
which years ago all the Jews were compelled to stay — 
in the part of the city which was called Jewry. But the 
miles of mills are what we remember best when in the 
evening we leave for Derby, about twenty-five miles 
north of Leicester. 

" Look there ! " excitedly exclaims one of the boys as, 
having arrived in Derby, we are leaving the station for 
our hotel. He is pointing to an advertisement of a game 
of baseball. Upon inquiry, we learn that the American 
national game is popular in Derby — one of the few 
English cities in which it has been adopted. Our party 
laughingly agrees to the lad's appeal to go to the baseball 
grounds on Colombo Street the following afternoon. We 
enjoy the game because it reminds us of home. We won- 
der, as we watch the players and see the enthusiasm of 
the spectators, what the people would think of a game 
between some of the prominent college nines, or of the 
crowd that assembles to see professional nines play in 
America. 

On our way to Derby we noticed that the country 
became rougher as we left Leicester farther behind. Be- 
cause Derby lies at the foot of the Pennine Hills, and 
it is easier for the traffic of the country to be carried 
around these hills than across them, the city is a busy 
railroad centre. We spend our morning hours in visiting 
the great military shops that cover four hundred acres. 
We are told that the streams which come from the Pen- 
nines on their way to Derby traverse many fields of coal, 
iron, and other minerals. Because of this fact, the waters 
are especially adapted to dyeing silk, and we find many 



154 'THE GRAY CITIES OF THE NORTH 

silk mills as we ride about the city. Indeed, the first silk 
mill in England was built here. The dampness of the 
air, as well as the quality of the water, makes Derby 
also an excellent place for manufacturing cotton, and we 
are not surprised when we pass huge mills in which vast 
quantities of cotton goods have been made. We learn 
that Derby is not only a modern city, but that it has 
a history as well. There was a town here in the 
days of William the Conqueror, which he gave to his 
son. 

In the evening a ride of forty miles by train carries 
us northward to Sheffield, a town of over four hundred 
thousand people, the sixth in size in England. It is 
evening as we approach, and the city seems almost to 
be on fire. Great flames are darting upward and heavy 
masses of smoke rest over the place. We are not sur- 
prised at the sight, however, because we have already 
learned that Sheffield is the leading town for certain 
products of iron. Coal-beds, iron mines, good water, 
stone for grinding, all are here or near by, and combine 
to aid this industry. 

In the morning, however, the boys laughingly declare 
that Sheffield appears better by night, because then the 
dingy walls of the great factories cannot be seen. How 
busy every one is ! What a clatter salutes us when we 
go to the iron mills ! We see hundreds of men and boys 
making saws. In other mills we watch the men as they 
make files or fine cutlery. Before we depart, the boys 
purchase some fine pocket-knives and scissors, and their 
fathers buy razors. We have heard of Sheffield steel 
long before we came here, and we are glad actually to 
see it made. 

Our boys are deeply interested in the mills where steel 
cannon are made. What powerful guns they are ! We 



SHEFFIELD 155 

see, too, where the heavy plates are manufactured for 
the ironclads of England's navy ! Even the shells that 
are made here seem too weak to pierce them. There is 
a roar in the shops that makes it impossible for us to 
hear one another speak. We stop for a moment to watch 
a huge hammer-like machine that is perforating some 
sheets of steel, apparently as easily as a knife cuts 
cheese. We conclude, however, as we leave the mills, 
that no man can make anything so strong that some 
one cannot be found who can make something stronger 
still. After a brief time spent in the factories where im- 
mense quantities of silver plated ware are made, we are 
ready to continue our northward journey. 

The long evening twilight is just coming on as we 
enter our train. Swiftly we dart through many villages 
in which we see the glare that rises from the iron mills. 
We cross many streams whose tumbling waters are rush- 
ing down the hillsides on their way to the sea. We are 
impressed, too, by the number of coal and iron mines, as 
well as by the great flocks of sheep and herds of cattle 
in the country. In the cities or on the farms the only 
houses we see are of brick or stone. Indeed, we have 
not found a half dozen frame houses since we landed in 
England. 

" What a busy region the North of England is ! " says 
one of the boys thoughtfully. " There are mines and 
mills and factories almost everywhere we go. Every 
place is interesting, but each seems to have its own 
special work." 

"That is true," replies his father, "of almost every 
city in the North or West of England. Every one has its 
own particular industry. The scarlet uniforms of the 
British soldiers are made at Stroud. Halifax manufac- 
tures flannel and carpets. Rochdale specializes in blank- 



156 THE GRAY CITIES OF THE NORTH 

ets. Bradford literally turns out thousands of miles of 
tweeds — " 

"I thought 'tweeds' were made near the river Tweed," 
suggests one of our party. 

"They are, but the name of the cloth is derived from 
twilled, not Tweed." 

" Can we buy some of the cloth ? " inquires one of the 
boys. 

"You can," says his father; "but if you do, you will 
want to take it home and have it made up by American 
tailors, and the duty will make it as expensive as if you 
bought the goods in America." 

As Bradford is only about twenty-five miles north of 
Sheffield, our ride thither requires less than an hour. 
We find the city a busy but not a very attractive place. 
Woolen mills are everywhere. We pass through streets 
where we see little besides the dingy walls of these mills. 
We enter one or two. How many girls, even old women, 
we see at work ! We wonder at first how the output 
of all these hundreds of mills can ever be used ; but when 
we think of the fleets of boats we saw in Liverpool, we 
can realize where it all goes. Bradford manufactures 
woolen goods not only for England, but for all the world. 

One of our most interesting visits in Bradford is to 
the Technical School. We were not able to visit the 
technical schools in Derby, Birmingham, and other 
cities, and are therefore glad of the opportunity to do it 
in Bradford. We find several hundred young men at 
work in the engineering, chemical, electrical, and other 
departments. The work is of the most practical kind. 
When the students are studying chemistry, they are 
taught the various methods of dyeing silk or wool. When 
they study electricity, they spend much time in the elec- 
trical works of the city. The same thing is true in every 



LEEDS 157 

department of the school. One of our men in his enthu- 
siasm says, " Every technical school ought to be located 
in a place where men can be seen at work in the very 
subject a pupil is studying." This certainly is true of 
the schools in the North of England. Although the na- 
tional schools are not so good as our public schools, the 
technical schools are surely very practical and thorough. 

Less than ten miles east from Bradford is Leeds, the 
fifth largest city in England and the largest in the North. 
Here we spend a day. Although this is the real centre 
of the cloth industry, we do not visit many of the mills 
because they resemble so closely those we have already 
seen. Immense warehouses and towering factory chim- 
neys in every direction give us the impression that this 
is a place of great industry and enterprise. The people 
all seem to be employed and happy. From the centre of 
the city we find the streets diverging like the spokes of 
a wheel from the hub. The City Square in the centre 
of the town is quite imposing, but there are no striking 
buildings. The city is much like the manufacturing 
towns at home. 

The following day finds us moving eastward, and we 
are still in Yorkshire, the largest of all the counties. 
Yorkshire is the basin of the River Ouse, and covers 
six thousand square miles. After journeying among hills 
and crossing moors, we find ourselves in the midst of a 
fertile plain, almost every acre of which is under cultiva- 
tion. The tiny canals are so numerous that they look 
almost like stripes painted on the landscape. Railroads, 
too, are seen in almost every direction. We decide that 
Yorkshire is a busy, thriving, beautiful region even be- 
fore we come to the great salt fields and mines in the 
eastern part. 

The people of Yorkshire are shrewd and fond of busi- 



i 5 8 



THE GRAY CITIES OF THE NORTH 



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A SCENE ON THE RIVER OUSE 



ness. There is a saying in England, that " Five Scotch- 
men are required to trade with one Yorkshireman." 

About an hour is required for.our journey of fifty miles 
to Hull, where we are again near the coast. We are in- 
terested at once in the city at the mouth of the Humber, 
— the greatest seaport of the North. A good-sized popu- 
lation thrives in the old town. On the morning after our 
arrival, we go down to the harbor. Along the docks 
there are so many boats that the masts and smoke-stacks 
make us think of a forest. How long the harbor is, and 
how wide ! If we should sail from it directly across the 
North Sea, we should find ourselves at the Kiel Canal 
entrance to the Baltic Sea. We have already seen what 
an enormous population is found in the country behind 
Hull. No wonder, with such a location, that this large, 
safe harbor presents a busy scene. 

We see ships loaded with ice that has been brought 
from Norway. We watch men loading huge steamers 



HULL 159 

with cotton yarn. We see boats that sail regularly to 
and from New York, as well as liners to London, and 
to various ports in northern Europe. If Leeds is the 
chief manufacturing city of the North, and Liverpool 
the leading harbor on the West, we easily perceive how 
Hull has become the port on the East from which there 
is more valuable shipping than from any English harbor 
except London and Liverpool. We think of the iron 
mines and the flocks and herds we have seen as we fol- 
lowed the course of the Trent before it emptied into the 
H umber. Much of the output of this region is brought 
to Hull. Now we understand what the forests of masts 
mean, and why we see so many sailors who speak in 
strange tongues and are dressed in strange garbs. 

After two days in the old seaport, we again start north- 
ward. We are following the coast, and from our cars we 
see many attractive seaside resorts. What crowds of 
people ! We should enjoy stopping at some of these 
places. This is the longest ride we have had for some 
time, because we are not to stop until we arrive at New- 
castle-on-the-Tyne. This we find to be a city of nearly 
three hundred thousand people, at almost the extreme 
northeast of England. 

The morning after our arrival at Newcastle we ride to 
the coal-mines, but are disappointed to find that to-day 
we are not permitted to go down the shafts. What a sight 
these great coal-fields and their workers present. The 
faces of the men and boys are so black, we should never 
suspect they ever had been white. 

We are not surprised when our guide informs us that 
more "ordinary" coal is shipped from Newcastle than 
from any other port in the world. (The coal mined here 
is called " ordinary" to distinguish it from the Welsh 
coal, which is the best for locomotives and steamboats.) 



i6o 



THE GRAY CITIES OF THE NORTH 



Five million tons exported every year ! Our guide tells 
us that some of the mines near Newcastle are worked 
several miles under the bottom of the North Sea. 

One of the party reads aloud from a little book he has 
purchased: " Of the coal mined in the world, more 
than one third is mined in the United States and more 
than one quarter in the United Kingdom. England 
produces two thirds and Scotland and Wales each one 
sixth of the output of the United Kingdom." 

We find that Newcastle herself has use for more coal 




A SCENE NEAR NEWCASTLE 

than she sends away. The iron mines are not far away, 
and the coal and iron together make the great shipyards 
possible. We visit these yards, where we find boats in 
every stage of construction. Here is one of which the 
keel has just been laid. Here is another on which the 
last inspection is being made ; soon she will start on her 
first voyage. 

We take a boat the following day and go nine miles 



NEWCASTLE 161 

down the river Tyne to Tynemout'h. We see houses, fac- 
tories, shipyards, on the shores, and we meet many 
boats ; all the way it is a busy scene. At Tynemouth 
we find a crowd of people bathing near the shore. We 
join the throng and enjoy our sea-bath, in spite of the 
dark color of the water which at first repels us. 

In the afternoon we visit the castle at Newcastle. It 
is very old, although the name of the city might lead us 
to think it was new. We learn that the castle dates back 
to the eleventh century, and we see that only the keep ' 
remains. Newcastle is not very "new," after all. 

The next morning we spend some interesting hours 
in the locomotive works and iron shops. Soon after 
noon, however, we set out for Carlisle, where the other 
members of our party are to meet us. 

We enjoy our ride through a most attractive country. 
Now we find ourselves in a valley, with high hills on 
each side; again, the railway travels along the side of a 
hill, and then we can see far up the valley. How deep 
the green of the grass and trees ! The brick houses of 
the farmers are attractive, too. All the buildings, as 
well as the cattle and sheep, appear to be well cared for, 
and the people look prosperous. 

"I like Yorkshire best of all the English counties," 
declares one of our boys. " With its hills and cities, it is 
quite different from the ' Garden of England ' (Kent), 
but I like it better." 

At Carlisle the girls and their mothers join our party. 
The girls have many interesting stories to tell of their 
trips. Of the buildings they have seen, the massive 
cathedral and the castle which William the Conqueror 
built at Durham to protect his people from the Scots, 
have impressed them most because of their massive ap- 
1 The part of the castle in which prisoners were kept. 



162 THE GRAY CITIES OF THE NORTH 

pearance. They greatly enjoyed their journey in the val- 
ley of the Wye, where the combination of beautiful 
valleys and high hills attracts many tourists every sum- 
mer. 

"We enjoyed our trip to the Lake region among the 
Cumbrian Hills most of all," says one of the girls enthu- 
siastically. "We rode on the train to Windermere and 




BOWNESS FROM FURNESS FELL 

there took a steamer on the lake to Bowness. We had 
first-class tickets, so we were separated from other pas- 
sengers even on the tiny little boat. There we were — 
Americans, who do not believe in 'classes' — sitting in 
front!" 

"How large is Lake Windermere?" inquires one of 
the boys. 



AMONG THE LAKES 163 

"It is a tiny lake, not more than ten miles long and 
half or three quarters of a mile wide, but it is the largest 
in the region. In America some would call it a pond." 

" Are these lakes more beautiful than those in Amer- 
ica? " asks another boy. 

"They are not nearly so beautiful nor so large as 
some of our lakes. Of course, the hills along the shores 
make the place attractive, though I don't think the 
region can compare with Lake George ; certainly not 
with the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River. 
We met an Englishman at Bowness who had been around 
the world. He said the Thousand Islands were the most 
beautiful sight he had seen on his entire trip." 

"Why did you want to see the English lakes, then ?" 

" Oh, they are well worth seeing because of their asso- 
ciations. We saw Dove Cottage in which Wordsworth 
lived, and the very place in the valley where he wrote so 
many of his poems. One of us could quote 'We are 
Seven,' and another recited his 'Ode to Duty.' Ruskin, 
Hartley Coleridge, and many other famous writers lived 
in the Lake District. 

" At Ambleside we began our coaching. There were 
five seats in each coach, and four people rode on each 
seat ; but we had four horses, so we went fast. The roads 
were smooth and hard, even on the steep hillsides. We 
enjoyed our coaching all the way to Keswick, where we 
stayed several days, making a trip every day to some 
part of the wonderful region. We saw heather — the red- 
dish little wild flower which the Scotch love so much — 
growing in great masses on the sides of the hills. We 
met so many English girls on walking trips through the 
valleys that we tried walking, too. I think we were more 
tired than the English girls at the close of the day. They 
walk so much more than we do ! 



[64 THE GRAY CITIES OF THE NORTH 




A COACHING PARTY IN AMBLESIDE 



"What do you think an Englishman ,said to us at 
Keswick? He said, 'I like the people from the States 
— all except the American boys. They are noisy and do 
not seem to think of the rights of other people. I can 
always recognize an American boy in a hotel. If your 
boys could be sent to Eton or Rugby to school, they 
would learn some things they apparently do not know 
now.' " 

"What did you say ?" queried her brother. 

" Why, I stood up for our boys, of course ! I have been 
thinking since, though, and sometimes I am afraid that 
what he said is almost true. We saw or heard other things 
that made us laugh. Mother was not well one morning, 
and she asked me to tell the chambermaid to send a 
waiter to our room. So I found our maid and said : — 

" ' Will you please send a waiter to our room V 

" ' A what, madam ? ' 



PECULIAR WORDS 



165 



" ' A waiter.' 

" ' Beg pardon, madam, but what is it you wish ? ' 

" 'A waiter.' , 

" ' Would you mind spelling it ? ' 

" ' W-a-i-t-e-r ! ' 

" ' Oh, a wyter ! ' said the maid. ' Certainly. I '11 send 
a wyter at once.' 

"It was all interesting — the people, the wonderful 
hills, the heather, and the steep paths, the coaching on 




AMBLESIDE 

the fine roads, the swift streams, the lakes, the quaint 
little inns, and all. I am not surprised that thousands of 
people go there every year, but I was surprised to learn 
that half the visitors are Americans." 

The day we all spend together in the old border town 
of Carlisle is dark and cloudy, but there are many things 
that interest us. We see near by the Cheviot Hills, once 



1 66 



THE GRAY CITIES OF THE NORTH 



the natural barriers between Scotland and England. We 
do not find any warriors here now, for the hillsides and 
moors are covered with sheep, famous for their wool. We 
visit some of the many biscuit factories. We drive past 
cotton and iron mills, and then go to places where we 
are interested in the wonderful color-printing that has 
made Carlisle so well known. In the afternoon we ride 




CARLISLE CASTLE 



to the river-guarded rock on which stand the ruins of the 
castle which King William Rufus, the son of William 
the Conqueror, built on the English border as a defense 
against the Scots. 

Our guide explains to us r.hat Carlisle is the only 
purely English city that retains the original name be- 
stowed by the ancient Britons. 

"Is the name spelled now just as it used to be?" 
inquires one of the party. 

"No," replies the guide. "The old name was CaerLuel." 



CARLISLE 167 

In the early evening twilight, we arrive at the great 
railway station. This station covers seven acres, and we 
are told that seven railroads enter it. Our train is coming 
and we follow our guard to secure seats. In a brief time 
the feeble whistle of our departing train is heard, and 
we are on our way northward, bound for Scotland. 

QUESTIONS 

Describe the country between Bristol and London. 

Mention three differences between Cambridge and Oxford 
Universities. 

Where did Tom Brown attend school ? Describe the school. 

Where are the chief fisheries of Great Britain ? Where is 
the product sent ? 

Mention and locate six important cities of the North. For 
what is each best known ? Give a reason for the location of 
each prominent industry. 

Compare Hull and Liverpool 

Where are the coal-mines ? Where is coal largely shipped ? 
Which coal is best? Compare England's output of coal with 
that of the United States. 

What are some of the characteristics of the Yorkshire 
people ? What people in the United States are they most like ? 

Where is the Lake District ? The Pennine Range ? For 
what is each famous ? 

W'here and what was the ancient border between England 
and Scotland ? What city is on the border ? 

Trace the course of three rivers of the North. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

Describe a visit to a woolen mill at Leeds. 

A day with a fishing fleet. 

A tale of the old Scotch border. 



CHAPTER XI 



IN THE " LAND O CAKES 



The Tweed — Melrose Abbey — Abbotsford — Dryburgh Abbey — Edinburgh 
— Forth Bridge — St. Andrews — Perth — Dundee — Aberdeen — Balmoral 
Castle —Orkneys — Shetland Isles — Ultima Thule. 

In our evening ride of three hours to Melrose, we see 
only the outlines of the nearby hills and valleys. We 
know, however, that we are entering the valley of the 
Tweed, and are in a region where romantic stories of the 
old border wars abound. We have already learned that 
in Scotland there are three great valleys or basins. In 
the north are the Highlands. There we expect to see 
swift streams that rise among high hills, beautiful water- 
falls, towering cliffs, and rugged mountains. In middle 
Scotland there is a rich agriculture region and cities 
having thriving trades. South of this section is the val- 
ley of the Tweed, in which is the village of Melrose. 

Having arrived at Melrose, we enjoy a good night's 
rest in our first Scottish hotel. In the morning we see 
before us, as we peer from our windows, sloping hillsides 
and a fertile plain flooded with sunshine. Carefully cul- 
tivated farms are not far away, and we know that many 
little hamlets are in the vicinity. Immediately after 
breakfast we leave our hotel, walking through narrow 
streets on which the houses and shops are of stone. The 
people we meet interest us at once. As we listen to them, 
we are aware that we are no longer in England. The 
Scotch " burr " is heard on every side. 

Our first visit is to Melrose Abbey, the most famous 
ruin in Scotland. As we gaze at its crumbling walls and 
fallen roof, we do not find it difficult to believe that it 



A WALK TO ABBOTSFORD 



169 




MELROSE ABBEY 



was built as long ago as the fourteenth century. It stands 
on the site of one erected in the twelfth century by 
David I, King of Scotland. Near the place where the 
high altar once stood, we see a little mound ; under- 
neath it is buried the heart of Robert Bruce. A deep 
silence reigns about the venerable pile — so solemn in 
its decay. The whole morning has passed away before 
we can bring ourselves to leave Melrose Abbey. 

In the afternoon we walk to Abbotsford, two miles 
from Melrose. Here is the home of Scott, which he 
built almost a hundred years ago. Before entering the 
house — an irregular old mansion of red sandstone — 
we stroll among the great trees on the grounds, every 
one of which was planted by Sir Walter. As we enter 
the mansion, we seem to be visiting the great Scottish 
writer who once lived here. We are told that his study 
is just as it was when he last wrote in it, and that the 



JO 



IN THE "LAND O 1 CAKES" 



library has not been changed since his death in 1832. 
Our boys are deeply interested in the collection of armor 
which Scott made. The quaint crossbows, spears, and 
pistols are hanging on the walls just as he arranged 
them. The girls, however, are drawn to the collections 
of books and pictures. We all stop in the bow window in 
the dining-room, and look out on the quiet Tweed and 



■to* 






IfliNHiBM.^ 




Sasi 




ABBOTSFORD 



the wide sweep of the peaceful valley. Here it was that 
the great author died. 

On the following day, we secure a coach and ride to 
the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey, where Scott lies buried. 
As we stand before his grave, not a sound is heard about 
us, and we cannot help feeling that this peaceful abbey 
is a fitting resting-place for the man who knew so little 
rest in his life. The crumbling walls of the cloisters help 
us to picture to ourselves what must have been the life 
of the monks who dwelt here six hundred years ago. Be- 
fore we depart, we stop for a moment at the grave of 



EDINBURGH 171 

Scott's son-in-law, Lockhart, the writer of the biography 
of Scott. Like the other tombs, Lockhart's is open to 
the sky. The roof of the abbey fell years ago. 

On our ride back to Melrose, we see a mammoth 
statue of William Wallace on a distant hill. The figure 
is so huge that it almost seems to touch the sky near 
the horizon. " What a large place Wallace and Bruce 
had in the hearts of their countrymen ! " murmurs one 
of the boys. All are laughing and chattering gayly when 
we reenter the quaint little village of Melrose. 

Our ride in the cars in the afternoon to Edinburgh 
requires less than two hours. Early the following morn- 
ing, when we leave our hotel, a heavy, chilly mist rests 
over the city. We find the "Scotch mist" even more 
penetrating than the English. An umbrella is said to 
be as necessary a part of dress as a hat or coat. We 
understand now why Tennyson called Edinburgh " the 
gray capital of the north." 

The hotel porter has already informed us that the 
city is not an important commercial centre, although it 
contains over three hundred and fifty thousand inhab- 
itants. We are somewhat puzzled to account for his 
statement. We know that Edinburgh has a fine harbor 
two miles away. From there, we have heard, boats are 
constantly leaving for London, Hull, and other English 
ports, as well as for cities on the Continent. Coal and 
iron mines are in the neighboring hills. The water sup- 
ply, too, is excellent. But aside from the pulp brought 
from Norway for the paper mills, the fishing industry, 
the breweries, the ice, and barrels, the chief business of 
Edinburgh is printing. W T e are interested in finding out 
why such a condition exists. 

We soon learn that Edinburgh is proud of her name, 
" Modern Athens." As we ride about the city we see 



172 IN THE "LAND O' CAKES" 

that, like Athens, it is located upon a series of hills. 
We visit Edinburgh University, in which three thousand 
students are enrolled. We spend a part of the day in 
the Scottish Museum of Science and Art — next to the 
British Museum the finest in the kingdom. We are 
amazed at the interest shown by the crowd that we find 
in the great building. We have a letter of introduction 
to one of the directors of the museum, and he cour- 
teously conducts us through its many rooms. In one of 
them, he calls our attention to an exhibit showing the 
manner in which savage people in various parts of the 
world live. He informs us that here, too, as in the Brit- 
ish Museum, is a collection of bows, arrows, head- 
dresses, cooking utensils and other implements, illustrat- 
ing the life of the North American Indians, that is more 
complete than any similar collection in the United 
States. 

" Why is that so? " inquires one of the boys quickly. 

" We began to collect before you did, and perhaps we 
have been more interested in all such things. You know 
we are proud of our title, — ' Modern Athens.' ' 

" Why was the name given ? " 

" Probably because Edinburgh is a centre of intellect- 
ual life. We are proud of our university, our art mu- 
seums, and our history. We think the history of Scotland 
is really the history of Edinburgh. The last heavy fight- 
ing between the Scots and English was for our castle. 
The English soldiers for a long time could not scale the 
steep sides of the rock on which the castle stands. When 
at last they did succeed, it was only because the defend- 
ers were starving. The Scottish Parliament ceased to meet 
at Edinburgh two hundred years ago, but we still remem- 
ber what we were, although to-day we are of course 
loyal to the Crown. Our schools are excellent, and the 



PRINCES STREET 



173 



amount and character of our printing also shows our in- 
terest in books. Many of the finest editions published by 
London houses are printed here. Our history, our mon- 
uments, our streets, — all these have made us entitled to 
our name, or at least we think they have." 

Before dinner we walk the length of Princes Street. 
The parks, the wonderful monument to Scott, the mu- 
seum of art, the immense frowning pile of Edinburgh 




EDINBURGH CASTLE 



Castle on the rocky eminence above us, the attractive 
shops, the people we meet — all deeply interest us. 

"Princes Street is the finest in the United Kingdom," 
enthusiastically says one of the boys when we return to 
our hotel. 

" Many believe it to be the finest street in Europe," 
adds his father. 

The following morning we spend in Edinburgh Castle. 
We climb the steep street that leads to the immense 



174 IN THE "LAND O' CAKES" 

walls of stone. Having entered by the drawbridge and 
crossed the moat, we find ourselves high above the city. 
Here we obtain a wonderful view. Far away are the 
shining waters of the Firth of Forth. In the opposite 
direction we behold the peaks of the distant highlands. 
Below us are the streets of the city thronged with peo- 
ple. Our guide points to some buildings, which he 
proudly explains are " ten stories high." The boys smile 
at his words, but are too polite to boast of the " sky- 
scrapers " in their own land. 

After we have entered the gloomy castle, it almost 
seems that we have returned to bygone days. We can 
imagine that we hear the command of the Scottish 
kings, the shouts of soldiers, and even the groans of 
prisoners in the dungeons. In the Crown Room we see 
the old Scottish Regalia. We go to the old Parliament 
Hall, and there stop for a few moments in Queen Mary's 
Room. 

We find, however, we must hasten to the parade 
grounds near by, if we are to witness the daily drill of 
the soldiers. The soldiers in their kilts, plaids, and flat 
caps are very striking. We remain at the castle till the 
drill is ended. 

In the afternoon we walk to Holyrood Palace, where 
the Scottish kings lived. On our way down the narrow 
streets we stop and enter the quaint old house of John 
Knox. Holyrood at first disappoints us. It is much less 
imposing than Windsor or Hampton Court. We find sol- 
diers guarding the palace. Our guide, as we follow him 
across the court, is telling us that years ago a man who 
was persecuted for crime or debt might flee to Holyrood 
where he would be safe. We enter the very room once 
occupied by Mary, Queen of Scots. 

On our way back to the hotel we climb Arthur's 



MONUMENTS 



175 



Seat — a rocky height, almost a thousand feet above the 
city. Again Edinburgh lies below us. We go on to an 
imposing monument to Robert Burns — a poet whom 
all Scotchmen love. We stop a little while at the high 




HOLYROOD PALACE 



school, which we find very much like our own, and then 
proceed to the Martyrs' Monument. When we read that 
this is a monument to the Scotchmen who fell in the 
Civil War in the United States, we are drawn still more 
closely to the Scotch people. 

We pass through some of the streets of the old town. 
Here we are stirred by the sight of the poverty of the 
people. Women are barefooted. The streets and houses 
are not clean. The faces of little girls are pinched and 
pale, while deformed children are numerous. Even 
"Modern Athens," in spite of its culture and beauty, is 
not free from the problem of relieving the poor. 

After four memorable days in Edinburgh, we plan to 
depart. Our party is to be divided once more. The girls 



176 



IN THE "LAND O' CAKES" 



prefer to stay some time in the Trossachs, as the long 
gorge that extends to Loch Katrine is called. The rest, 
however, whom we shall follow, are eager to go to the 
cities and highlands of the North. Early in the morning 
we board our train. The sun is shining, but almost every 
man has an umbrella, ready for rain which we have found 
may come at almost any time. 

As we leave the city behind us, one of the boys ex- 
claims, " Edinburgh is the finest city, except London, in 
the British Isles." We all agree with him. 

When our train crosses the famous Forth Bridge, 
which some maintain is the most wonderful in the world, 












THE FORTH BRIDGE 



we are thrilled as we look far up and down the river. 
We see countless ships of various kinds, several gunboats 
at anchor being not the least interesting. The bridge is 
a mile and a half in length, and the main spans are even 
longer than those of the Brooklyn Bridge. The steel 
towers are almost as high as the dome of St. Paul's in 
London. What a marvel of skill and power the bridge is ! 



ST. ANDREWS 177 

Soon we are moving northward, passing many little 
towns along the shore of the Firth of Forth. The names 
are strange to us, and we laugh as we try to pronounce 
Kirkcaldy, Pittenweem, and others. In less than an hour 
we are at St. Andrews, thirty miles from Edinburgh. 
We spend a little time in the cathedral and then walk 
about the grounds of the university. Our guide informs 
us that both these institutions were established here be- 
cause, in the middle of the eighth century, the bones of 
St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, were brought 
to this sightly spot for burial. 

Before we depart we have time for a game of golf on 
the links of St. Andrews, said to be the finest in the 
world. It is a wonderful morning, although the air up 
here is bleak, and while we follow the course, we get an 
inspiring view on all sides. Before us is the sea, where 
white-capped waves are tossing, and as we pause to 
watch passing vessels, the wind blows keen against our 
faces. Behind us, in the distance, are the rugged hills. 
The game, too, is one we shall remember. The boys are 
playing against the men. Which do you think won ? 

In the evening, when we resume our journey, we turn 
westward. A ride of thirty miles brings us to Perth, at 
one time the capital of Scotland. At Scone Palace, near 
Perth, many of the kings were crowned. We recall that 
we saw the stone in Westminster Abbey. After break- 
fast, we go to a few places of interest in the little city. 
Our guide conducts us to the gloomy walls of the gen- 
eral prison of Scotland, but we do not enter. We are 
more interested in the boats at the docks. Perth is at 
the head of navigation of the Tay, and behind it is a 
fertile country from which grain, cattle, and other pro- 
ducts are shipped. The town appeals more to us, how- 
ever, because of its early clays. Perth was one of the 



178 IN THE "LAND O' CAKES" 

battle-grounds in a long struggle between the Highland- 
ers and Lowlanders. 

Late in the afternoon, when we enter our train, one 
of our party reads aloud from Rossetti's poem, " The 
King's Tragedy." It is the story of Catherine Douglas, 
who with her arm barred the door of the monastery (no 
longer standing) at Perth when murderers were seeking 
the life of her king, James the First of Scotland. Be- 
cause of this act, she received the name " Barlass," which 
her descendants still claim. 

A short ride of twenty miles eastward by train lands 
us late in Dundee, a thriving, modern town, — the third 
city of Scotland in size. We already have learned that 
Dundee has little history apart from the days when it 
was a harbor for the whaling fleets. No mines are near, 
but coal and iron are easily brought from Fife. Dundee 
is opposite the Baltic Sea, from which flax and hemp 
are imported, and to these jute — a third import — has 
been added in recent years. 

We have these facts in our minds in the morning 
when we start for the many mills where thousands of bags 
and miles upon miles of rope are made each year. As we 
walk along the streets, we are surprised to find mills and 
dwellings side by side. There is the pungent odor of 
jute in the air. When we cross the street, we slip because 
the greasy mud is coated with dust from the jute mills. 

When we depart, we find the streets crowded with 
laughing and chattering girls and women coming from 
the factories. Some of them are singing and we stop to 
listen. We can distinguish the words of the chorus : — 

And wasna he a roguey, 
A roguey, a roguey, 
And wasna he a roguey, 
The Piper o' Dundee ? 



DUNDEE i 79 

This is one of the favorite songs of Scotland. 

In the afternoon we go to the jam and marmalade 
factories. The air in the factory is full of the odor of 
berries, sugar, and oranges. What a multitude we find 
working in these places ! All are busy, for the supply of 
Dundee jams is not equal to the demand from all the 
world. 

" Where do you get your berries ? " we inquire of our 
guide. 

" Carse o' Gowrie." 

"Where?" 

"Carse o' Gowrie." 

We learn that this is the name of a fertile region near 
Dundee, where wonderful berries are grown. 

We ride past the busy technical school and then up 
the slopes behind the city. On our way, we pass many 
new houses, and notice that some of the streets are ter- 
raced. At last we are on Dundee Law — high above the 
city. Here we can see the course of the Tay for miles. 
Fife is spread before us like a map. Across the bay we 
see St. Andrews, and behind us are the Grampian Hills. 
Dundee itself is enterprising rather than beautiful ; but 
our view from the Law is the finest that we have yet 
had in Scotland. 

Early the following morning we are on our way north. 
We follow the coast, passing many places of interest at 
which we should like to stop. In less than two hours we 
arrive at Aberdeen, a city almost as large as Dundee. 
Although an ancient city (its charter was "extended" 
by Robert Bruce), its growth, like that of Dundee, has 
come largely in recent years. 

In our first walk about the town, we notice that the 
public buildings, the houses and shops, and even the 
wide streets, are all made of granite. We are not sur- 



i8o 



IN THE "LAND O' CAKES" 





"TT? 




Biniiifa^srkJiJj ~™ : | 


L„8ilEll.i. i 1 









PUBLIC BUILDINGS IN ABERDEEN 



prised that Aberdeen is called the "Granite City." 
Near by, and along the coast, granite is taken from the 
hundreds of quarries, and shipped to all parts of the 
British Isles. 

Not far out in the North Sea are the Fishing Banks, 
where the trawlers take vast quantities of fish. Long 
before sunrise, the next morning, we all go down to the 
dock to see the return of the fishermen from their labors 
of the night. It is a wonderful sight. Hundreds of 
sturdy fishermen with bronzed faces are spreading out 
their fish on long benches and rapidly sorting them. 
Next comes the packing of the catch in barrels, many 
of the fish at the time being still alive. A long train is 
waiting beside the dock, and before the sun has ap- 
peared, every barrel has been placed on board. The train 
at once starts on its long journey to London. 



BALMORAL 181 

After breakfast we drive through the grounds of the 
university, which is one of the leading institutions of 
Scotland. We visit some of the great printing estab- 
lishments, where many of the London publishers have 
their books printed. We are told that, next to Edinburgh, 
Aberdeen does more printing than any Scottish city. 

The cattle markets greatly interest us, and we spend 
a part of the day in them. Behind Aberdeen, between 
the river Dee and the Don, are some of the best cattle 
pastures in the United Kingdom. . 

The next day we made an excursion up the valley of 
the Dee. We find ourselves in a region of wild, rugged 
hills. Soon we arrive at Balmoral Castle, where Queen 
Victoria spent many of her summers. From the grounds 
of the castle we obtain a glorious view. All about us are 
high hills, while lying far below are the peaceful valleys. 
In the distance we catch glimpses of waterfalls foaming 
over rocks, and swift mountain brooks that glisten like 
silver. On the slopes and in the valley are more herds 
of cattle grazing than we could begin to count. 

We now decide to vary our trip by a voyage to the 
Orkney and Shetland Islands, lying off the northeastern 
extremity of Scotland. Accordingly, the following day 
we sail in a little steamer from Aberdeen. The captain 
is a typical Highlander, and his broad Scotch dialect is 
difficult for us to understand. He is most courteous, how- 
ever, and shows us every attention. He tells us that the 
Strait of Pentland Firth, which divides the islands from 
the mainland, is only six miles wide. In the winter, its 
waters are so rough and wild at times that a boat cannot 
" live " on it. Our first view of the Orkneys (there are 
sixty-seven islands in the group) shows us great, ragged 
cliffs, which we can well believe are, as the captain de- 
clares, the grandest in Scotland. We stop a little while 



182 



IN THE "LAND O' CAKES" 



at Kirkwall, the capital, situated on Pomona, the largest 
island. It is only a little village, however, and we soon 
continue our voyage fifty miles farther north to the 
Shetland Isles. 

We are now farther north than we have ever been 
before, yet the air is warm and balmy. The captain in- 
forms us that the winters in this region are also mild. 
Even Unst, the island farthest north, does not suffer 




SHETLAND PONIES 

severely from the cold. We find that there are more than 
one hundred of the Shetland Islands. As we draw near 
the shore, we see towering cliffs which have been worn 
by the waves and storms into fantastic and varied forms. 
Multitudes of screaming sea-birds are circling about the 
rocks. Lerwick, the capital, where we land, is a quaint 
and strange little seaport town. 

We are to remain only a day. The following morning 
we mount hardy little Shetland ponies, not much larger 



SHETLAND ISLANDS 183 

than sheep. Strong as they are, they are almost as gentle 
as kittens. How we would like to take some of them 
home with us ! 

On our ponies we ride to the ruins of some ancient 
castles, passing across the plains behind the cliffs on the 
shore. To our surprise, we find fields of corn and grass. 
Many sheep are seen, too, and we are reminded by them 
of our promise to bring back some of the famous Shet- 
land wools. 

We see many women, but very few men. The men of 
the islands are mostly fishermen, and now are away from 
home. As we turn back to our hotel, we meet women 




SHETLAND WOMEN 



with loads of peat on their shoulders, but, strange to 
say, their hands are busily knitting or sewing, in spite 
of the heavy load. 

Centuries ago, the Shetland Islands were dimly known 



184 IN THE "LAND O' CAKES" 

to the people of Europe as Ultima Thule — that is, the 
land farthest away. At the dock, when we embark next 
day, one of the Islanders proudly informs us that the 
people really are Norsemen, and ought to belong to 
Scandinavia instead of to England. 

QUESTIONS 

Describe the valley of the Tweed. 

Locate Melrose Abbey, Abbotsford, Dryburgh Abbey, St. 
Andrews, Holyrood Palace, Balmoral Castle, and Stirling 
Castle. For what is each famous ? 

Locate Edinburgh. What is its port? Why is Edinburgh 
called " Modern Athens ? " 

Where are the Grampian Hills? Describe them. 

Why are Scotland's leading cities on the coast ? Mention 
and locate four. 

Locate the Orkney and Shetland Islands. How can you go 
to them from the mainland ? 

What and where was Ultima Thule ? 

What are some of the differences between the Highlands 
of Scotland and the Lowlands ? Between the Highlanders and 
the Lowlanders? 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

Look up and tell briefly the story of the life of Sir Walter 
Scott. 

Describe a visit to the Shetland Islands. 
Describe a visit to Edinburgh Castle. 



CHAPTER XII 

HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS 

Wick — John o' Groat's House — Inverness — Caledonian Canal — Fort William 
— Ben Nevis — Oban — Fingal's Cave — Story of the Scotch Giant — Iona — 
Glencoe — Story of the Massacre — Stirling — Bannockburn — The Trossachs — 
Loch Katrine — Ellen's Isle — Loch Lomond — Dumbarton — Glasgow — The 
Land of Burns — Crossing the Irish Sea. 

Instead of returning to Aberdeen, we embark on a 
little steamer that brings us to Wick, a harbor on the 
northeast coast of Scotland. We have enjoyed our short 
voyage on the North Sea, because it has made a pleas- 
ing change in our trip. As soon as we land, we go to 
a hotel. The following morning finds us rested, and 
ready for our experiences in this interesting land of the 
Scots. 

Wick is a busy little town at this time of the year. 
The population now is twice as large as it is in winter, 
because men have come from the scattered hamlets 
along the coast to join the fishing fleets. The people are 
tall, strong, and very serious in their bearing. We hear 
the Highland dialect on all sides. We are told, however, 
that many Norse words are used, and that these people, 
too, pride themselves upon being descendants of the 
Norsemen, whose home is only a few miles across the 
sea. Wick itself is a Norse word meaning " bay." 

We decide to spend a part of the day in a trip on a 
mail cart which runs to John o' Groat's House, only 
twenty miles distant. When we arrive, we are aware 
that we are in the most northern point of Great Britain. 
We are told the story of John o' Groat, a Dutchman, 
who is said to have built a house here many years ago. 
The building had eight sides — one for each member of 



1 86 HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS 

his family. His object in building the strange house was 
to prevent his children from quarreling as to which 
should be first. Every one had his own place, and so all 
were content. We find, however, that John o' Groat's is 
well known as the terminus of the course for racing 
motor cars which run from " Land's End to John o' 
Groat's." Thus the races are run from the most south- 
ern to the most northern point of Great Britain. 

We return in our mail cart to Wick, passing through 
a wild, bleak country. Almost the only vegetables we 
find growing in the region are turnips and potatoes. We 
notice small black cattle, with long, sharp horns, and 
long-wooled sheep, but not very many of either. As we 
ride through the narrow valleys, we see heather on 
many of the steep, barren hillsides. We are beginning 
to understand, now, why there were so many clans among 
the Highlanders. The steep hills and the swift moun- 
tain streams form natural barriers, as well as defenses, 
for the little valleys in which the clans lived. 

Upon our return to Wick, we decide to go in the 
evening to Inverness. Our plan to visit the lochs and 
hills in the extreme northwest of Scotland must be 
abandoned, we find. There are very few people dwelling 
in that region, and as a consequence there are no rail- 
ways. Along the coast, the men in the little hamlets are 
fishermen or sailors on sealing or whaling fleets. Every- 
where the people are poor. Nearly all the rivers that 
rise in the hills of western Scotland flow eastward into 
the North Sea. The towns of northern Scotland have 
sprung up near the mouths of these rivers. Perhaps the 
leading industry in the West, next to fishing, is distill- 
ing Scotch whiskey. One of our boys suggests, however, 
that the best " crop" Scotland has produced is "men." 
Certainly the Scotchmen have proved themselves to be 



CALEDONIAN CANAL 187 

sturdy, thrifty, earnest, and reliable. Bleak as much of 
their country is, they all love it. 

We arrive at Inverness in the evening, and before we 
retire we walk about the streets of the little city. In re- 
sponse to our inquiries, we are informed that the town 
has mills in which the wool from the Highland sheep is 
manufactured, and that it is the centre of the trade of 
northern Scotland. The vast distilleries here also em- 
ploy many men. We are chiefly interested, however, 
because Inverness is the outlet of the great Caledonian 
Canal, through which there is much traffic from the At- 
lantic Ocean to the North Sea. 

Early the following morning, we go to the dock where 
our boat is awaiting us. We are to spend the day on the 
Caledonian Canal. We have long been looking forward 
to this trip, and are glad the time has come when we are 
to take it. 

We find, as we proceed, that the canal itself is quite 
narrow, because in places the long valley, through which 
we are riding, is not more than fifty feet wide. We 
enter a number of little lakes, and find that the canal 
really connects these throughout its course of sixty-two 
miles. We meet many boats on our way, and see that 
most of them are heavily laden with freight. Passengers, 
too, are on the decks. At the locks we peer over the 
rail as the rising water carries us up to the higher and 
higher levels. 

Our chief interest, however, is in the wild scenery. 
Bleak, steep hills of rock rise at our feet, and there are 
many narrow little valleys. We do not find crowds 
awaiting our arrival at the occasional stops, because Tthe 
region is but thinly peopled. Our attention is called oc- 
casionally to deer forests, the preserves of wealthy men 
or of the nobility who come here in the fall to shoot. We 



i88 



HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS 



see bleak moors which are also reserved for hunting 
game. On many of the hills heather is growing, and its 
coloring is so beautiful that we can well understand the 
love of the Scotch for the modest flower. Sheep paths 
are seen, some of which lead across places on the hills 
where no man can follow. 

In the afternoon we land at Benavie, the southern ter- 
minal of the Caledonian Canal, and follow the passengers 




THE SUMMIT OF BEN NEVIS 



who are boarding the train awaiting our arrival. A ride 
of a few minutes brings us to Fort William, where we 
are to remain a night and a day. We have time before 
dinner to visit the fort which guards the entrance to the 
Highlands. 

In the morning 
Nevis, the 



we prepare for our 



highest mountain in the British 



ascent of Ben 
Isles, 4406 



BEN NEVIS 189 

feet above the level of the sea. Mounted on ponies, we 
are soon climbing the pony track. Part of the way is very 
steep, but our hardy little steeds are sure-footed. Occa- 
sionally we stop for rest, but in four hours we are at the 
top. 

Leaving our ponies at the hotel, we walk to those 
places on the summit where we can obtain the finest 
views of the surrounding country. Fortunately, the day 
is fair. Far below us, a wonderful scene unfolds itself, — 
green valleys and wild moors, studded here and there 
with lochs that glisten like jewels in the sunshine, while 
rising above them we see, on all sides, the peaks of the 
highlands, looking, from our lofty altitude, like the tiny 
green hills of a toy country. We can see clouds resting 
on the hills far below. Peering over the edge of the preci- 
pice, where we stand, we look with a little shudder down 
the steep rocky side of the mountain. The wind sweeps 
bleakly against our faces, and we can fancy what the 
summit of Ben Nevis must be in a winter storm. After 
dinner, we mount our ponies and begin the descent of 
the mountain, feeling that we have been well repaid for 
our long climb. Part of the way we walk, finding the 
change restful. 

In the evening we take the train for Oban, a busy little 
land-locked harbor. We hear the place called the " Char- 
ing Cross of the Highlands," because it is the centre of 
the rail and steamship traffic of the region. We should 
be glad if it were possible for us to visit many of the 
Outer and Inner Hebrides, the islands off the north- 
western coast of Scotland. When we are informed that 
most of them, even Lewis, the largest of all, are thinly 
populated, and are bleak and barren, we decide to visit 
only two. 

Early the following day, we board a steamer which 



190 



HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS 



will carry us to these islands and bring us back to Oban 
the same night. On our way we pass other islands, whose 
rocky shores have been cut by stormy waves into weird, 
fantastic forms like those we saw on the coast of the 
Shetlands. 

When we land at the island of Staffa, we are informed 
that we shall have just an hour in which to see Fingal's 




FINGAL'S CAVE 



Cave. Accordingly, we hasten to the place, and stand be- 
fore the great columns that Nature has erected here as 
if to guard its entrance. The cave itself, we learn, extends 
inland more than two hundred feet, and the columns in 
front are almost fifty feet high. How like a vast cathedral 
it looks ! It is, indeed, a cathedral built without the aid of 
man. And with what a roar the wild waves dash against 
the columns ! The waters of the Atlantic are forever 
rushing and seething as they sweep against these shores. 



A TRADITION 191 

We return to our steamer, which soon leaves for the 
island of Iona. On our way. a man seated near us tells 
us the Scotch story of Fingal's Cave. " Ninety miles 
away, on the coast of Ireland, is the Giant's Causeway, a 
formation so like Fingal's Cave that it is believed at one 
time they were united. The old tradition is that there 
was an Irish giant, champion of Ireland, who was eager 
to fight the champion giant of Scotland. For a long time 
it was impossible to arrange an encounter. At last, by 
permission of the Irish king, the giant of Ireland built a 
bridge or causeway across the sea. When the champion 
of Ireland came walking across the bridge, the Scotch 
giant was frightened because his rival was so much larger 
than he. The wife of the Scotchman, however, was keen- 
witted, and she at once ordered her husband to get into 
his bed. The giant obeyed. Just as his wife covered her 
husband with the bedclothes, the Irish giant appeared 
in the doorway. He roared forth his demand for the giant 
whom he was seeking. ' Hush,' said the canny Scotch 
giantess, 'my husband is not here. The "baby" is in 
bed. You may see him if you wish. His father will be 
back soon.' The Irish giant gave one look at the 'baby' 
and fled. If that immense creature was the 'baby,' he 
had no desire to see his father. The giant was in such 
haste to get back to Ireland that the 'causeway' crum- 
bled beneath his flying feet. It was all destroyed except 
the ends, one of which is Fingal's Cave in Scotland and 
the other the Giant's Causeway in Ireland." 

"Do the Irish have the same story?" inquires one of 
the boys. 

"No. When you visit the Causeway you will hear a 
somewhat different version." 

Our boat has now arrived at Iona, where we are to 
have an hour for sightseeing. We find the little island 



192 



HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS 



bleak and barren. We are interested, however, in visit- 
ing the cemetery of St. Oran, where many ancient kings 
were buried, and where for centuries no one ever came 
to disturb their final sleep. Perhaps that was the reason 
why this desolate island was selected by the Scottish, 
Irish, and Norwegian kings for their burial place. We 
find some very old buildings, but none that date back to 
563, when the missionary, St. Columba, came here from 
Ireland to begin his labors in Scotland. In those early 
days, it is said, Ireland was more highly civilized than 
any country of Europe. 

It is still light when we return to Oban. The next 
morning we go by coach to the Pass of Glencoe. We ride 




THE PASS OF GLENCOE 



swiftly through wild, beautiful valleys, with towering 
mountains looking down upon us. In the Pass we find 
ourselves in a long narrow valley. On either side of us 
are steep hillsides. In the centre of the valley, a swift 



GLENCOE 193 

mountain stream is leaping over rocks and singing on 
its way to the sea. 

Our driver tells us the story of the massacre which 
has made the Pass of Glencoe famous. " Years ago, after 
long and bloody wars, the Highlanders were at last de- 
feated by the soldiers of King William III of England. 
Every chief was commanded to come to Fort William 
before the close of the year 1691, and swear allegiance 
to the king. Maclan (Macdonald) of Glencoe came as 
he was bidden, but he was informed that the officers be- 
fore whom he must swear were not there. Maclan has- 
tened to Inverary, but upon his arrival was told he was 
five days too late. His enemies had played a trick on 
him. He returned to Glencoe. 

" Four hundred English soldiers were sent to Glencoe. 
For two weeks Maclan and his clan fed and cared for 
their visitors. Then, early one February morning, before 
sunrise, the soldiers stealthily arose and massacred Mac- 
lan and his people. Nearly every man and boy of the 
clan were put to death. His two sons escaped, however, 
and did much to arouse the other clans. It was long be- 
fore the bitterness died. Some have not forgotten it yet," 
added the driver, his eyes flashing as he spoke. "Mac- 
lan was shot as he arose from his bed to order food for 
his guests." 

The next day we start southward by train for Glasgow, 
the chief commercial city of Scotland, where we had 
arranged to meet our friends again. Upon our arrival 
we go at once to the hotel where they are awaiting us. 
A heavy Scotch mist hangs over the city, and we are 
glad to remain indoors and listen to the reports the girls 
give us of their travels since we left them at Edinburgh. 

"We made an excursion from Edinburgh the same 
day you left," begins one of the girls. " When our train 



1 94 



HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS 



stopped at Dunfermline, mother wanted to get out and 
go to the mills which make more table linen than any- 
other mills in England or Scotland ; but we decided to 
stay on the train until we came to Stirling, for which 
we had started. 

" Stirling is a larger place than we thought. The town 
is located on the Forth, but when we saw Stirling Cas- 




ST1RLING CASTLE 



tie, we did not think of anything else, for we had come 
to see the castle. It is a wonderful sight. The quaint 
old building of stone stands on a high rock, reminding 
one of Edinburgh Castle. All around it is a plain ; it does 
not seem possible that an army ever could have taken 
the place. We were not surprised when our guide told 
us that the Scottish kings loved their home in this cas- 
tle. From the walls we saw the great hills far away, 



COACHING 195 

t;he plains, the river, and the very field of the Battle of 
Bannockburn. You know that was the battle in which 
Robert Bruce defeated the army of the English King, 
Edward II, in 13 14. And Bruce's army was only one 
third as large as the other ! " 

"How far is Bannockburn from Stirling? " inquires a 
boy. 

"Only two miles. We remained at Stirling two days, 
and returned to Edinburgh." Here our narrator pauses, 
out of breath. 

"The morning we finally left Edinburgh," eagerly 
begins another girl, continuing the narrative, "we took 
a train for Aberfoyle to coach through the Trossachs, — 
you remember, that is the name of the long gorge that 
extends to Loch Katrine. Again we rode on a coach 
that had five seats, with four persons on each seat. For 
a few miles we just climbed the great hills. We saw a 
few sheep, but almost no people. The soil is so light I 
don't see how anything can be grown there. 

"After a time we began to descend the hills and go 
down into the valley or gorge. It was great fun. The 
horses were running, the air was cool and bracing, and 
there were such wonderful things to see on every side. 
The hills were all aglow with heather. In one place in 
the woods there were four bagpipers, playing Scotch 
tunes. The men wore kilts, plaids, and Scotch caps — " 

"Yes, and little urchins ran after you calling out, 
1 Spare a cop ! Spare a cop ! ' " interrupts one of the boys, 
with a laugh. 

"How did you know? You were not there !" 

" We found little beggars, and big ones, too, wherever 
we went." 

"When we came at last to Loch Katrine," resumes 
the girl, " we saw a little steamer waiting for us at the 



196 HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS 

dock. There were so many tourists on it that it seemed 
crowded. We found room on deck, however, and the boat 
soon started. Pretty soon we came to Ellen's Isle, a 
beautiful little island almost round and covered with 
trees. It looked like some of the small islands in Lake 
George or Lake Champlain. When Scott wrote his poem 
'The Lady of the Lake,' people were living on the island, 
but no one does now. We had a copy of 'The Lady of 
the Lake,' and it made a good guide-book. We saw Rob 
Roy's cave, and the place where Fitz-James and Roder- 
ick Dhu had their encounter." 

" Do many people live along the shore ? " 

" No ; that was surprising to us. We saw a few fine 
places, but not many. Finally, we left the boat and took 
the coach again. It began to rain — " 

"As usual! " interrupted one, with a laugh. 

" Yes, there are likely to be showers any day. We 
could see the clouds around the tops of Ben Venue and 
Ben Lomond. It was all beautiful, — even the showers, 
and they lasted only a few minutes at a time. On arriv- 
ing at Loch Lomond, we went on board a steamer and 
rode for three hours on the lake, and there it rained all 
the time. The boat was crowded with tourists, and we 
were not very comfortable, but no one expects to be 
comfortable all the time he travels. Loch Lomond is the 
largest of the Scottish lakes. It is twenty-five miles 
long, and in places is five miles wide. The water is clear 
and beautiful, and is the source of Glasgow's water sup- 
ply. There are a good many little islands in the lake, 
covered with trees, and on some of the islands are hotels. 
Our boat stopped at many of these places. 

" At Ballock, the lower end of the lake, we left the 
steamer, took a train for Glasgow, — and here we are ! 
After a day's rest we went over to Dumbarton, to see the 



DUMBARTON 



197 



old castle there. It is in one of the most sightly places we 
have found. It stands on a rock nearly three hundred feet 
high, and from its walls we could see Ben Lomond, Loch 
Lomond, and the Clyde with its shipyards. We listened 
to the stories the guide told us about Sir William Wallace 
when he was a prisoner here. Dumbarton was a very 
important castle in Scottish history, and when the wars 
with England ended it was one of the four fortresses 




DUMBARTON ROCK AND CASTLE 



retained by the government. You know it is guarded by 
the river, and it commands the mouth of the Clyde." 

" Is Dumbarton itself much of a town ?" asked one of 
the boys. 

" Yes, it is a city of twenty thousand. It has some 
great shipyards. Perhaps you know that more ship- 
building is done on the Clyde than anywhere else in the 
world. The calico prints, especially the Turkey-red, are 



198 HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS 

made here, too, and all these find a natural shipping port 
at Dumbarton." 

"What else have you been doing in Glasgow?" in- 
quires a boy. " Have you seen the cathedral yet ? " 

" Indeed we have ! And the great burying-ground 
near it is quite as interesting as the old church itself. 

"We have spent several days in the Art Museum, 
too, and we have enjoyed the statuary and pictures, espe- 
cially as so much of the work is by Scotch artists. We 
saw a famous picture by Whistler, the American artist, 
and we each bought a copy of it. It is a portrait of 
Thomas Carlyle, the great writer." 

" How about the colleges ?" asks another boy. 

" There are three interesting colleges here and a great 




GLASGOW UNIVERSITY 



university which has twenty-five hundred students. Best 
of all, women are given degrees by the university." 



GLASGOW 199 

"It seems to me that Glasgow is a wonderful city," 
remarks one of the boys seriously. 

"There can be no doubt about that," answers his fa- 
ther. " There are upwards of a million people living here. 
The city is almost as large as Philadelphia, although it 
is not so beautiful. It is now the second city in size and 
importance in the British Isles. It is like Liverpool in its 




ON THE CLYDE NEAR GLASGOW 

shipping, and like Manchester in the amount of its man- 
ufacturing." 

"What has made Glasgow such an important place? " 
inquires the boy. 

" Several different causes. First of all, it has a harbor 
which has been made so large and safe that even the 
mammoth ocean liners can enter. There are men living 
in Glasgow now who can remember when they waded 
across the very places in the Clyde where these great 
vessels now come. It was a great scheme to dredge the 



200 HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS 

harbor, and now Glasgow has lines of ships that go to 
ports in almost every part of the world. 

" Glasgow (Glaskie, the Scotchmen call it) is also on 
a rich coal and iron field, and we have seen that the 
neighborhood of coal and iron has made many cities 
important. Coal usually brings other industries with it, 
and there are a great many men in the vicinity working 
in copper and chemical factories. Shipbuilding, however, 
as we have seen, is Glasgow's greatest industry. 

" Again, in the plain south of Glasgow the soil is very 
fertile, and the air, water, and climate of this section are 
favorable to certain lines of manufacturing. Hence, near 
the city we find a large manufacturing population, which 
provides cargoes for her ships. Being on the west coast, 
she naturally has a large trade with North and South 
America, and she has gained and kept much commerce 
that Bristol once had. Glasgow's location at the mouth 
of so important a river as the Clyde has given it another 
advantage. The upper part of the Clyde basin is devoted 
to sheep and cattle raising, while on its downward way 
the river passes a great many busy mining and manu- 
facturing towns. It is easy to see how Glasgow has 
also become one of the most important railway centres 
in the United Kingdom." 

"You have not mentioned yet the most important 
help Glasgow has had in growing so great," suggests 
one of the boys. 

"What is that?" 

"The Scotchmen themselves." 

" You are right," laughs his father. "The people them- 
selves have had the most to do with Glasgow's greatness. 
The Scotch are serious, earnest, and hardworking, and 
they love their homes. Most of them are poor, and they 
have learned to be frugal and saving. Their music, too, 



STREETS OF GLASGOW 201 

has been of a character to develop the serious side of 
their life. Years ago they had the bagpipe and the harp, 
and their songs were of conflicts and bravery. Even their 
games, such as curling, golf, football, and also their shoot- 
ing and fishing, are not lightly done. It is sometimes said 
the Scotch do not have a very keen sense of fun, but 
perhaps we think so because they do not enjoy our jokes 
as much as they do their own. Whether they have a 
keen sense of fun or not, they are a strong, earnest, re- 
liable people. Every country into which they have gone 
has been helped by them, and no country more than 
America." 

Next morning we leave our hotel and take a walk in 
some of the streets of Glasgow. What strange names 
they have ! We proceed down Sauchiehall Street, and 
then pass Garrowgate, Trongate, and other streets. Ar- 
gyle Street reminds us of Regent Street in London, be- 
cause it contains so many shops. The venders of strange 
wares on the street interest us very much. Here is the 
hot potato man trying to sell his eatables. Near him is 
a blind man shouting, " Fine laces, only a penny a pair ! " 

The streets are thronged. In the crowds we see some 
barefooted women. Many of them are carrying their 
babies in a shawl that hangs from the mother's neck. 
Perhaps this custom explains why so many deformed 
children are seen. We do not, however, see or hear a 
crying child. 

We turn back and walk across one of the many 
bridges that span the Clyde. As far as we can see on 
either side, the river is almost filled with boats. What 
hurrying crowds of busy people are crossing the bridges! 
Glasgow impresses us as being less beautiful and more 
enterprising than Edinburgh. The latter city is more 
literary, historic, and aristocratic. There seems to be 



202 HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS 



A BRIDGE IN GLASGOW 

the same difference between the two cities that we found 
existing between the North and South of England. 

We stop a tram car and secure seats on the top. 
When we pay our fare the conductor informs us that the 
city government of Glasgow owns all the trolley sys- 
tems, as well as the telephone lines and the water sup- 
ply, of the city. Last year Glasgow made almost enough 
money on the tramways to pay for all the expenses of 
her schools. And yet the fare, we find, is regulated the 
same as that in London. 

We pass many fine residences. We enter parks in 
which are monuments to Scott, Burns, and other famous 
Scotchmen. One sees row upon row of office buildings, 
in Glasgow, and banks without number, almost. The 
city is the most thriving we have found since we de- 
parted from London. 

The following morning we visit the shipyards that 
extend for miles along the Clyde. We readily believe 



FACTORIES 203 

the statement of our guide that these are the most ex- 
tensive shipyards in the world. The din is almost deaf- 
ening. We visit yards in which only ocean-going boats 
are made. In others only yachts are built. Ships just 
begun, ships ready for launchings, ships in various stages 
of completion, are all about us. 

In the afternoon one of our boys expresses his desire 
to visit one of the factories. 

"As there are four thousand different factories in 
Glasgow, it might be well, before we start, for you to 
select the one you wish to see," suggests his father. 

"Tell me what some of them are." 

" Well, you will find factories for making cotton goods, 
woolen cloth, pottery and metal work; factories for silk 
weaving, and for fitting out, as well as for building ships." 

"Does everybody in Glasgow work in a mill?" 

"No. Only a hundred thousand men are employed in 
them." 

It is finally decided to spend the afternoon in one of 
the largest of the chemical works. We find the plant 
covers fifteen acres. The tall chimneys rise almost a 
hundred feet higher than the dome of St. Paul's. Within, 
the army of men and boys are making and mixing liquids 
of various kinds, each of which seems to give out a disa- 
greeable odor. 

On our way back to our hotel one of the boys asks his 
father: " How old a city is Glasgow? " 

" It is believed to have been founded in 560. It did 
not grow rapidly, however, until the harbor of the Clyde 
had been made and the trade with America had been 
developed. And yet Glasgow is not without its history. 
It was here that James Watts in 1763 constructed his 
first steam engine. The first steamboat in Europe was 
built here, too." 



204 HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS 

In the afternoon of our final day in Glasgow, we go to 
St. Enoch's Station, one of the largest in the kingdom, 
and secure compartments in the train which will carry 
us to Ayr. 

As we ride swiftly southward, we skirt the shores of 
the Firth of Clyde. At some of the busy little seaport 
towns which we pass, we see freight trains and boats 
loaded with coal. At others, we see thousands of bushels 
of early potatoes. In still others, we notice boxes of 
shoes or bales of woolen goods or packages of lace. We 
notice, too, that large quantities of Kilmarnock cheese 
are being shipped. All these are the products of Ayr- 
shire, one of the richest and most beautiful of the coun- 
ties of Scotland. 

We have seen, also, since our train entered the county, 
great engine shops. We are told, in response to our que- 
ries, that iron, as well as coal, is found in large quantities 
among the hills that form almost a semicircle around the 
fertile plain through which we are riding. After a jour- 
ney of two hours we are in Ayr, a city of thirty thousand. 
When we alight from our train, we are at once aware 
that we are in the land of Burns, because in front of the 
station we behold an imposing statue of the poet him- 
self. 

We spend the night at a typical Scotch hotel, where 
"scones" and porridge are served for breakfast. Soon 
we are riding to the cottage in which Burns was born. 
The place is only two miles away. In a brief time we 
arrive at the low, thatch-roofed, one-story building. Even 
in its best days, the cottage must have been very "hum- 
ble." We each pay a "tuppence" and enter. We examine 
the few relics of the poet that are exhibited. We are 
more impressed by the statement of the keeper, that in 
the preceding week ten thousand people came to see the 



THE LAND OF BURNS 



205 




ROBERT BURNS' BIRTHPLACE 



birthplace of Burns, than we are by the few articles, once 
owned by the poet, that are shown us. 

After we depart from the cottage we ride for a time 
in the country roundabout. From the tops of the hills 
we can see the 
farms and the lit- 
tle villages, — the 
fair region which 
was the scene of 
the life of this 
poet of the lowly. 
He sang the 
songs of the 
peasant, and he 
made us all see 

the beauty that is to be found in quiet and familiar 
tasks. 

Later we go to the park, where we find another monu- 
ment to Burns, which almost makes us forget the impres- 
sions we have previously received. This monument is 
designed after an old Greek temple. In the niches we 
see statues of Souter Johnnie, Tarn O'Shanter, and other 
characters Burns made famous. We hardly know what 
to say as we silently stand before the strange structure. 
Finally, one of our boys exclaims, " Fancy Souter Johnnie 
peering around the corner of an old Greek temple ! 
Wearing coat tails pinned to an Eton jacket would be 
just as fitting ! " 

The rain is falling and the wind is blowing, when, later 
in the afternoon, we enter a train which will carry us 
southward to Stranraer. There we expect to embark on 
a steamer which will take us to the Emerald Isle by the 
shortest of all the crossings between Great Britain and 
Ireland. 



206 HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS 

An hour later we leave the cars' and board the boat 
which is awaiting our arrival. In a brief time we are 
moving up Loch Ryan toward the open waters of the 
North Channel or Irish Sea. 

We overhear one of the sailors remark that it is "a 
dirty night." We know that the crossing is very rough 
at times, but we are not afraid, although we have noticed 
that many passengers already have gone to their state- 
rooms. 

Our boys and girls secure sheltered seats on deck, and 
enjoy the experience. One of the boys relates a con- 
versation he had with a man who was in the same com- 
partment of the car. " He said his home was in Ayr, and 
that he had traveled in many lands. He had been in 
America, India, China, Japan, and a good many other 
countries. But he never had been in Ireland, — only thirty 
miles from his home. Some mornings he could see, across 
the Channel, the outlines of the Irish hills. And yet he 
had never been on the island ! " 

" A good many are like him," responds another boy. 
" They go thousands of miles away, but never see the 
sights near home. I know a man who has lived years in 
New York who has never crossed the Brooklyn Bridge." 

The conversation is abruptly ended. The swift steamer 
is pitching and rolling heavily, and we flee to our state- 
rooms. Indeed, most of the passengers are seasick. 

Two hours later we land at Larne, where we enter a 
train near the dock. 

" I want to send a telegram to London as soon as we 
arrive in Belfast," remarks one of the girls. 

" You know it will be sent from the post office," says 
her brother. " I will attend to it for you, if you wish. 
It will cost only a sixpence, but you will have to count 
in the address and the signature, too." 



LARNE 207 

A ride of an hour brings us to Belfast. By this time 
we have all recovered from the discomforts of our 
crossing. Storms and cross-tides are forgotten in our 
enthusiasm over our arrival at last in the Emerald 
Isle. 

QUESTIONS 

What is the extreme north of Scotland ? How far from 
Land's End? Where is Ben Nevis? What is a loch? Why 
are there so many lochs in Scotland ? 

What and where is the Caledonian Canal ? 

Where is Fort William ? Fingal's Cave ? The Trossachs ? 
Ellen's Isle ? Bannockburn ? For what is each best known ? 

For what is Dumbarton famous ?. Ayr ? 

Compare Glasgow with Edinburgh. 

What is the relation of the location of Glasgow to four of its 
leading industries? Mention the industries. Why is the Clyde 
important ? 

Mention four characteristics of the Scottish people. 

In what part of Scotland is "the land of Burns?" Why 
was the name given ? 

Compare the East of Scotland with the West. The North 
with the South. 

Locate four important rivers and describe the course of each. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

A visit to a shipyard at Glasgow. 

Tell the story related in some poem of Robert Burns. 

A day in the Highlands or on the Caledonian Canal. 



CHAPTER XIII 



IN THE EMERALD ISLE 



Downpatrick — St. Patrick — Belfast — Flax — Linen Mills — Shipyards — 
Irish Lace — Jaunting Cars — Brian Boru — Ulster — Giant's Causeway — Story 
of the Irish Giant — Londonderry — Villages of Fishermen — Hills and Valleys 
— River Shannon — Drogheda — Battle of the Boyne. 

The following morning is as misty as any we saw in 
Glasgow. Clouds of smoke are hanging over the city. 
We are not to be detained by weather, however, and 
soon board a tram car for the station. One of our boys is 
eager to go to Downpatrick, where St. Patrick, the pa- 
tron saint of Ireland, began his labors in the island, and 
where he was buried. We yield to the lad's urgent re- 
quest, even before we have seen the interesting places 
in Belfast, the largest and busiest city of Ireland, contain- 
ing four hundred thousand people. 

As we pass through many streets on our way to the 
station, the people we see appear quite like Americans. In 
their conversation, we detect the Scotch as well as the 
Irish " burr." We are reminded by the fact that the North 
of Ireland has more Scotch and English in its popula- 
tion than has any other part of the island. 

A ride of twenty-six miles southward by train brings 
us to Downpatrick. We walk from the station to the 
imposing cathedral that bears the name of St. Patrick. 
We admire the beautiful east window, which is all that 
remains of the original church of the saint. The long 
nave, the artistic furnishings, the massive buttressed 
tower, are all wonderful ; but we are most impressed by 
the fact that here are the shrine and the final resting- 
place of Ireland's patron saint, 1 Naturally we are inter- 

1 Some Irish historians maintain that St. Patrick was buried else- 
where. 



.DOWNPATRICK 



209 




A BUSY STREET IN BELFAST 



ested in the man for whom so many churches, streets, 
and boys have been named. 

We stop a little while outside the church to enjoy the 
marvelous view which is had from this spot. Hills and 
valleys, plains and villages, can be seen all about us. 
The verdure is of a darker green than we have ever seen. 
On our way back to Belfast one of our boys is hum- 
ming, — 

Upon the top of a tall green hill 

St. Patrick preached a sarmint; 

He drove the frogs into the bogs 

And banished all the varmint. 

" He did a good deal more than drive the snakes out 
of Ireland," remarks a gentleman who is seated in the 
same compartment with us. " A great many stories have 
been told about him which are not true ; but he did more 
for Ireland than any other man has done." 



210 IN THE EMERALD .ISLE 

" Please tell us about him," urges one of our party. 

" His real name was Patricius, and he probably came 
from either Gaul (France) or Scotland. When he was a 
young man, he was captured, brought to Ireland, and 
sold as a slave. For six years he worked as a shepherd 
for his master, and in that time he became very fond of 
the Irish people. He finally escaped from the island, 
went to France and studied hard for several years. He 
came back to Ireland as a missionary. He began his 
work at Downpatrick, and from there he went all over 
the island." 

-What did he do?" 

" When he began his work here the people were di- 
vided into many little tribes, that kept the island in a 
state of war most of the time. The religion of the 
Druids, which was general, required the offering of hu- 
man sacrifices. Largely through his influence, all these 
conditions were changed for the better. It is not surpris- 
ing that the people of Ireland, who are warm-hearted, 
love St. Patrick as they do ; nor that so many Irish boys 
have his name." 

When the stranger learns that our party is eager to 
visit one of the great linen mills of Belfast, he gives a 
card to one of the boys and invites him to bring his 
friends on the following morning, promising to show us 
through a linen mill in which he himself is interested. 
He explains, too, that Belfast is the greatest linen cen- 
tre in the world. 

" Why is linen the leading industry?" inquires one of 
our boys. 

" Soil and climate are the first cause. Flax requires 
much moisture, and Ireland surely has that. For the 
past five years we have had an average of 205 rainy days 
each year. That fact explains, too, why Ireland is the 



BELFAST 211 

Emerald Isle, and why our grass is so green. You never 
will be able to develop a linen industry in America." 

"Why not?" 

" The country is too dry. You can grow enough flax 
to provide flaxseed for oil, poultices, and a few such 
things. You can make some coarse linen towels; but that 
is about all. Flax becomes brittle when it is dry. Amer- 
ica must change her weather if she wishes to compete 
with us." 

We spend the rest of the day, after we have returned, 
in visiting the university at Belfast and the famous tech- 
nical school, which has had so much to do in developing 
the industries of the city and the adjacent country. We 
drive through streets on which we see imposing public 
buildings. We stop at the Bank of Ireland to secure 
money on our letter of credit. Much of the paper money 
we receive, we notice is that of the Bank of Ireland 
(not of the Bank of England), but we are informed that 
it will pass current anywhere in the Emerald Isle. 

We visit the great post office, and walk through some 
of the public buildings. We are told that the Lord 
Mayor of Belfast and the other city officers do not re- 
ceive any salaries. The city, too, owns its water works, 
its lights, and its trolley lines. 

At Royal Avenue we alight and walk to our hotel. 
The streets are filled with busy people, who almost make 
us think we are in an American city. Indeed, the streets 
and buildings remind us of home more than do those of 
any city we have visited in the British Isles. 

Following us are several boys and girls who are very 
persistent in begging us to " spare a cop." Every one 
of these little beggars has a brass medal which is dis- 
played, showing that they are licensed to beg. To avoid 
them we enter a store, where even our boys are inter- 



212 IN THE EMERALD ISLE 

ested in the beautiful Irish laces which, at our request, 
are shown us. These laces are mostly hand-made, the 
work of girls in the convents, or of lonely women in their 
peasant homes. Only within recent years have the laces 
been made in factories, chiefly at Dublin and Limerick. 
Our girls are so deeply interested, and make so many 
purchases, that it is late when we return to our hotel. 
The entire day, however, has been so full of pleasures 
that no one complains. 

Early the next morning our party presents itself at 
the office of the man who has promised to take us to his 

great linen mill. We 
are most cordially wel- 
comed. Jaunting cars 
are secured, and we 
start for the mill. 
These jaunting cars 
are novel to us. Each 
has only two wheels. 
There are two seats 
for passengers, one on 

AN IRISH JAUNTING CAR each side ° f the C ^' 

The girls are timid be- 
cause the motion is strange to them. One must learn to 
brace one's feet properly, or a sudden jolt may toss one 
to the ground. Only one horse is used for each car, 
and the driver has a seat in front of his passengers. 

Our horse is small, but he goes briskly. The car darts 
down one street and then turns sharply into another. 
The houses now are less attractive than some we have 
already seen in Belfast. There are scores of good-natured 
children in the street, who dart out of the way of the 
jaunting cars and call to us, "Spare a cop!" This call 
we learn is very common in Ireland. 




JAUNTING CARS 213 

One of our boys, seated near the driver, is much in- 
terested in our conveyance. He has been examining it, 
and now turns to the driver and inquires, " How much 
does a jaunting car like this cost ?" 

" About forty, sorr." 

" I 'm going to have one, if that is all ! " 

" He means £40, about $200," laughingly suggests 
one of our party. 

" It is so plain and simple it can't cost that much ! " 

" 'T is the foine material," explains the driver. " Thin, 
think of the skilled workmen that must be after doin' th' 
foine work. There 's th' balance, an' th' — " 

" Will you sell this for ^40 ? " interrupts one of the 
boys. 

" Oi will that ! " exclaims the driver. " 'T is a bargain 
ye 'd be gettin' ! There be carrs at £8, but not loike this, 
sorr." 

The man's eyes are twinkling with fun. As we have 
now come to the end of our ride, he touches his hat with 
his whip when one of our party gives him a shilling as 
a " tip." As he turns away, he calls : " If iver ye want a 
furst-class jaunting carr, it 's the loikes o' me wad be 
glad t' sill it to yez." 

Our party, led by our friendly conductor, now enters 
the mill. Both the boys and the girls are deeply inter- 
ested, and ask numerous questions. We learn that there 
are many divisions of the linen industry. Obtaining the 
fibre, spinning the yarns, weaving the threads into cloth, 
and bleaching are distinct occupations. In the fields the 
flax is planted in April, and pulled or cut in July. It is 
then sunk in water, until covered, weighted down by 
stones, and left for three weeks. The process is called 
"retting." The flax is next spread on grassy fields to be 
sun-dried for about two weeks. When it is thoroughly 



2I 4 



IN THE EMERALD ISLE 



dried, it is taken to the " scutching" mills, where the 
woody part is separated from the fibre. In the next place 
it is "hackled," — the first process in spinning yarn. This 
part of the work is very unhealthful, because fine dust 




AN IRISH FLAX-MILL 



is thrown out from the machines, and ordinarily there 
are hundreds of men working together, each bending 
over a little machine from which he pulls the flax. 

Some of the weaving is still done on hand-looms in 
the humble homes of the weavers. Years ago, all the 
weaving was done in this way, and the finest is still 
" hand-made." To-day, however, the looms of the great 
mills do most of the work. We are especially interested 
in the pattern cards shown us in one room of the mill. 
They remind us of the perforated sheets of paper used 
in a piano player. 

We are told that even after the linen cloth is sent 



LINEN 215 

from the mills, it is not yet ready for the markets. It must 
first be sent into the country, far from the smoke and 
dirt of the city, to be bleached. Long strips are laid on 
the grass. Sometimes many acres are covered by these 
strips, and watchmen are on duty day and night to 
guard against robbery. 

As we walk through the mill we are almost deafened 
by the clatter of the looms. In one room alone we see 
eight hundred looms, and we notice that many of the 
weavers are girls and women. Some of these women 
are so old that it does not seem to us they ought to work. 
In answer to our inquiries concerning the wages and 
hours of the workers, our friend tells us : "The average 
pay of a weaver is five dollars a week. Boys and girls 
under fourteen years of age are not permitted to work 
in the mills. When they do begin, their wages vary from 
one to two dollars a week. All who work in factories of 
any kind in Belfast do so from 6 a. m. to 6 p. m., but at 
8 a. m. the workers stop an hour, and all go home to 
breakfast. At one o'clock they all stop for dinner. 
They are forbidden by law to remain in the mill in the 
breakfast or dinner hour. Every worker thus has sixty 
hours of labor every week, or fifty-five if a Saturday 
half-holiday is given them." 

We follow our leader from one noisy room to another, 
seeing all we can. But we are not able to ask more 
questions until at last we return to the offices. 

"How many people in Belfast work in the linen 
trade ? " inquires one of our boys. 

" About eighty thousand in all the lines. If we include 
those who are dependent on the works, the linen indus- 
try supports about half the people of the city." 

"Is the flax all grown in Ireland ?" 

" Years ago it was, but not now. Our people are poor, 



216 IN THE EMERALD ISLE 

and they are not able to care for the land as they should. 
Some of the best flax ground has been exhausted. To- 
day we import from Russia, Holland, and Belgium nearly 
three times the amount we raise ourselves." 

"And where does most of your linen go?" inquires 
one of the girls. 

" More than half goes to the United States, — seven 
times as much as to any other country. Only a little of 
it is used here. You will find the linen industry promi- 
nent not only in Belfast, but in most of the villages 
and cities in the North of Ireland. Indeed, Ireland leads 
all other lands in its production. In all Ireland there 
are almost nine hundred thousand spindles and thirty-five 
thousand power looms ; and there would be many more 
if so many of our people had not left us to go to other 
countries. Years ago we had a population of nine million, 
but now we have not much more than half that number. 
Perhaps you can tell me where so many of our bright 
Irish boys and girls are to be found to-day." 

"Belfast is the chief city in the production of linen, 
is n't it ? " asks one of the girls. 

"Yes, especially of damasks. 'Where did the word 
damask come from?' From Damascus, which many cen- 
turies ago made beautiful fabrics, as well as famous 
blades. Indeed, the blades were 'watered,' so that they 
looked almost like damask, too. You can understand 
how long linen lasts by remembering that the mummy 
of Cleopatra, which is now in the British Museum, is 
wrapped in sheets that were placed about her almost 
nineteen hundred years ago." 

In the afternoon our new friend takes us to a whole- 
sale shop, in order that we may view some of the finished 
products of the linen mills. On a large table we see 
displayed, one after another, beautiful tablecloths, bed- 



SHIPYARDS 217 

spreads, tea-cloths, and many other linen articles. What 
artistic work ! Never before did we understand what 
" fine linen " is. Our enthusiasm increases when we are 
permitted to make a few purchases. When at last we 
depart, one of our girls inquires: "Why can we buy 
linens here for one quarter of the price at home?" Per- 
haps you can answer her question. 

Our next visit is to the shipyards near Belfast. Here 
we find boats in all stages of construction. One steam- 
ship, we hear, is to be launched within a few days. Our 
guide promises us tickets to the launching, but as we 
are soon to depart we cannot accept. 

" Do you remember the boat that brought us over? " 
suddenly asks one of our party. "It was built here." 
The reminder causes us to look about us with increased 
interest. There is a din that makes conversation almost 
impossible while we go from one busy yard to another. 
We think of the storms at sea these boats must meet, 
the great cargoes to be carried, the thousands of pas- 
sengers who will be on board, and the fortunes that 
will be made or lost. The building of ships means more 
to us now than it did before we came. 

One of our boys has many questions to ask, but he is 
compelled to wait until we are beyond the sound of the 
hammering and pounding. 

" How much greater is the shipbuilding industry at 
Glasgow than at Belfast ? " he inquires of the guide, 
when at last we turn away from the yards. 

" Glasgow builds nearly ten times as many boats," 
the guide replies. " I think Belfast is entitled to much 
credit for what she does in the face of so many obstacles. 
Our harbor is shallower than the Clyde, and the coal- 
mines near us are not so good as those of Glasgow, nor 
so well worked." 



218 IN THE EMERALD ISLE 

" Why not ? " 

" Poor Ireland ! She has had so many troubles, and is 
so poor that the best of her mines are neglected. Belfast 
imports most of her coal and iron, and her harbor is 
shallow ; yet in spite of these things, her shipyards 
build more than five times as many boats as all the other 
towns in Ireland. Our boats, too, are large. Although 
Glasgow builds almost ten times as many as we do, the 
total tonnage of hers is only four times as great as ours." 

" What a fleet England builds every year ! " remarks 
a boy. 

" Last year the United Kingdom launched almost as 
many merchant vessels as did all the other countries of 
the world combined. 1 In the tonnage of our new boats, 
we had nearly double that of all other countries. The 
British Isles make ships, and these ships make the 
British Isles." What did he mean ? 

We are eager now to start northward, for we want to 
see the Giant's Causeway. The following clay we depart. 
Our ride from Belfast is about sixty-five miles. We pass 
many villages in which the manufacture of linen plainly 
is the chief industry. We see many wide fields covered 
with strips of linen bleaching in the sunlight. If we had 
been here in early summer, we should have seen many 
acres covered with the little blue flowers of the flax in 
bloom. 

One of our boys, who has been reading since we left 
Belfast, suddenly closes his book and exclaims, " I have 
found what I wanted ! " 

"What is that?" asks one of the party. 

1 In a recent year, the United Kingdom launched 755 vessels (of 
100 tons and upward), exclusive of warships. All other countries 
in the same year launched 940. The British colonies launched 57, 
the United States 242, and Germany 205. 



THE GIANT'S CAUSEWAY 219 

"Who Brian Boru was. He was the Irish king who 
gained a great victory over the Danes in 1014. He was 
slain by a concealed enemy on the day of his victory. 
Then Ireland was divided into four parts, and each divi- 
sion had a ruler of its own. Every one of the four sec- 
tions was made up of the tribes and great families within 
its borders. The divisions or provinces are still just as 
they were then : Ulster, Leinster, Munster, and Con- 
naught. We are now in Ulster, the richest and busiest 
part of Ireland. The counties of each province, not the 
province itself, are all that have any political importance 
to-day." 

We soon arrive at the busy little seaport of Portrush, 
where we leave our train and take a tram car ride of 
seven miles to the Causeway. The country through 
which we are passing is fertile and beautiful. We see 
many fields of oats, as well as of flax. Daisies also are 
plentiful. We pass through a picturesque little village 
and catch sight of a grim old castle there which, if it 
could speak, might tell us tales of sea robbers and of 
fights. 

At last we arrive at our destination and secure rooms 
in our hotel. We decide to take advantage of the bright 
moonlight to obtain our first view of the Giant's Cause- 
way. A short walk down the hillside brings us to a turn- 
stile, to enter which we each pay a sixpence, the gateman 
warning us all meanwhile against slipping on the wet 
stones. In a few minutes we have arrived at the Giant's 
Causeway. 

Our first feeling at sight of it is perhaps one of disap- 
pointment. We had expected to look upon high, massive 
columns, with wild waves dashing against them. But 
the moonlit sea is quiet, and the columns of rock below 
us are not gigantic, — in fact, they rise only a few feet 



220 



IN THE EMERALD ISLE 



above the water. All these columns have five or six 
sides, almost as smooth as if they had been cut by a 
mason, and we are told that forty thousand are within 
sight. The keeper tells us that they were once joined to 
the similar strange formation on the Scotch island, Staffa, 
ninety miles away, which some of us have seen. As we 
walk about the stones, our impression of the scene 
deepens. When at last we stroll along the high cliffs 




THE GIANT'S CAUSEWAY 



near by, look across the sea flooded with moonlight, and 
see below us the shadowy outlines of the weird columns, 
we begin to realize why the Giant's Causeway is so 
greatly admired. 

Before we return to our hotel, the keeper tells us the 
story of the giant who built the causeway. 

Many years ago, Fin MacCoul was the champion giant 
of Ireland. No one was left in the country who could 
compete with him. Beyond the sea, in Scotland, lived 
Benandonner, the champion giant of that land, whom 



THE IRISH GIANT 221 

Fin MacCoul was eager to meet. The Scotchman had 
laughed at his strength and reputation. Benandonner, 
however, ignored his challenge, explaining that he did 
not want to swim the sea in winter. Then Fin besought 
the King of Ireland for permission to build a bridge to 
Staffa. The king consented. Soon afterward, Fin Mac- 
Coul built the Giant's Causeway, across which Benan- 
donner came to meet him. In the fight that followed, 
the Scotch giant was thoroughly beaten, and remained in 
Ireland, an obedient servant to Fin MacCoul. Not long 
after the fight, the waters rose, and all the bridge was 




LONDONDERRY 



submerged except the ends which can be seen at Staffa 
and on the northern coast of Ireland. 

We are reminded by this story of the Scottish tale we 
heard at Staffa. Which do you like better ? 

We ride two hours westward to Londonderry, a town 
of forty thousand, where some of the liners from Amer- 



222 IN THE EMERALD ISLE 

ica stop on their way to Glasgow. Here, as at Belfast, 
we find that the linen industry is important. Shirts and 
laces, however, not damasks, are made at Londonderry. 
In the adjacent country, on our way to the city, we 
saw many pigs ; so we are not surprised when we learn 
that large quantities of bacon are cured and shipped at 
Londonderry. In the afternoon we walk up the hill 
which overhangs the river. As we look down upon the 
town and its little river, we recall that many fierce battles 
with the English, and many long sieges, have occurred 
here. One siege lasted one hundred and five days before 
the defenders were forced by hunger to surrender. The 
original name of the city was Derry. When many Eng- 
lish came to settle at Derry, after the Irish had been 
conquered, the name was changed to its present form. 

We next travel through some of the northern and 
western parts of Ireland, where, we find, towns are not 
numerous. Most of the villages are on the wild, rough 
coast, where fishing is the leading industry. The warm 
waters of the Gulf Stream bring food, upon which the 
fish feed. The shore waters are shallow, and there are 
many bays and harbors. 

As we turn eastward we see a vista of high hills, 
moors, and bogs. We soon cross fertile plains, however, 
upon which flax, oats, and potatoes are grown, and we 
see Kerry cattle and sheep feeding in the fields. 

We stop for the night at Drogheda, on the eastern 
coast, a town which was the scene of severe fighting be- 
tween Cromwell's army and the Irish Royalists who sup- 
ported Charles II in 1649. The next day we visit the field 
of the Battle of the Boyne. This battle was fought in 
1690, when the new King of England, William III, suc- 
ceeded in driving out of Ireland, James II, who had pre- 
viously been deposed as King of England. The battle 



BATTLE OF THE BOYNE 223 

was hard fought until the victory at last was won- by 
King William. It is said that one of the Irish soldiers, 
after the defeat, disgusted at the cowardice of King 
James, shouted to his enemies : "Change kings with us 
and we will fight you again ! " For many years following 
the Battle of the Boyne, there was a bitter feeling be- 
tween the people of the North of Ireland, who favored 
William, and those of the South, who were on James's 
side. This feeling to-day is less intense, and by many is 
no longer cherished at all. 

QUESTIONS 

What and where is the shortest crossing of the Irish Sea ? 

Mention and describe the leading industries of Belfast. 

Compare the shipbuilding at Belfast with that at Glasgow. 
Look up and compare the shipbuilding industry in Great 
Britain with that of the United States. 

Who was Brian Boru ? 

What was the cause of the Battle of the Boyne ? 

Locate Londonderry. For what is it best known ? How did 
the city receive its name ? 

Describe the coast of Ireland. The interior. The northern 
part. 

Where is Irish lace made ? 

Where and what is Ulster? Mention the four divisions of 
Ireland. 

Where and what is the Giant's Causeway ? 

Why does Ireland produce more and better linen than the 
United States ? 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

Look up and tell briefly the story of St. Patrick. 
• Describe a visit to a linen factory. 
Write about a ride in a jaunting car. 



CHAPTER XIV 

FROM DUBLIN TO THE LAKES OF KILLARNEY 

Dublin — Tara — Bogs — Peat — Facts concerning Ireland — Athlone — The 
Shannon — Limerick — Killarney — Gap of Dunloe — Cork — Blarney Castle — 
Waterford — Vale of Avoca — Tipperary — Rock of Cashel — Isle of Man — 
From Dublin to Holyhead. 

A ride of less than two hours the following morning 
brings us to Dublin, Ireland's capital, a city not quite 
as large as Belfast. Having heard of " Dirty Dublin," 
our first impression of the city is one of surprise. We 
are riding through wide, clean streets, and are in the 
midst of enterprise and prosperity. Just before we enter 
the city one of our girls calls our attention to the nearby 
Wicklow Hills. They form a semicircle about Dublin, 
and remind us of a frame for a picture. 

Soon after we are settled in our hotel we prepare to 
drive about the city. We drive through Sackville Street, 
the most prominent one, and then turn into other 
crowded thoroughfares. Statues are everywhere to be 
seen. We admire the stone figures of Grattan and 
O'Connell, two of Ireland's greatest orators. The saintly 
face of Father Mathew in stone looks down upon us. 
What an earnest, devoted man he was ! He believed that 
most of his country's woes were caused by intemperance. 
He devoted his life to organizing temperance societies, 
that to-day are found in America as well as in Ireland. 
We stop to look at the heroic figure of the Duke of 
Wellington, who, as we know, was an Irishman. We see, 
also, statues of Robert Emmet, the patriot orator; Sheri- 
dan, the playwright, and of other famous Irishmen. 

We go on to Phoenix Park, the largest of all the parks 
in Dublin, comprising more than seventeen hundred 



PHCENIX PARK 



225 




SACKVILLE STREET 

acres. The grounds are well laid out, and have splendid 
roads and paths. The finest lions bred in captivity are 
here ; indeed, our driver informs us that lions to the 
value of $25,000 are sold by the city every year. We ex- 
pected to find many interesting things in Ireland, but 
we were not prepared to learn that raising lions was one 
of them. 

We return through streets of magnificent residences. 
The names of the streets are printed in English and also 
in Gaelic, or old Irish. Later, when we go into the coun- 
try, we shall find that the same custom prevails there. 
How strange the Gaelic letters are ! None of us can 
even read them, to say nothing of pronouncing the 
words. 

We enter the grounds of Trinity College. Near the 
gateway we pass statues of the authors Thomas Moore 
and Oliver Goldsmith, both of whom were once students 
here. The splendid buildings and the artistic lawns of 



226 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEV 

Trinity greatly please us. In the library we find more 
than four hundred thousand books. Here, too, we see the 
beautifully illuminated Book of Kells, a famous transcript 
in Gaelic of the Gospels, that dates back to the eighth 
century. We are also shown letters written by Mary 




TRINITY COLLEGE GREEX 

Queen of Scots, Milton, Ben Jonson, Sir Isaac Newton, 
and other famous men. 

Almost opposite Trinity College is a low one-story 
building of stone, that somehow reminds us of the Bank 
of England. It is, in fact, the Bank of Ireland, — a won- 
derfully symmetrical building, which, we are told, is the 
most perfect example of architecture in Ireland. Some 
even maintain that it is the most perfect in the British 
Isles. When we are informed that it is the old Irish Par- 
liament Building, we enter the stately room in which the 
Irish peers once sat. The room is now just as it was the 
last time the peers used it. To-day, as we know, there 



CATHEDRAL 



227 



is no Irish Parliament. Irish members meet with those 
from England in London. 

Before we return to our hotel we visit two famous 
cathedrals, — St. Patrick's and Christ Church. As we 
enter St. Patrick's we are impressed by the massive col- 
umns, richly carved. Above the choir we see hanging 
the banners of the Knights belonging to the order of St. 
Patrick. We walk silently through the long nave and 




ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL 

the transepts. How many famous men have been buried 
here ! 

Christ Church Cathedral, also, we find interesting and 
imposing. This old and stately pile was founded in the 
eleventh century by Sitric, a Danish king of Dublin. 

At last we are back at our hotel ; but before entering, 
we walk a little while about St. Stephen's Green, which 
our hotel faces, and we admire its beautiful artificial 
lake and waterfall. Water-fowl from India, Japan, South 



228 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY 

America, China, Africa, and New Zealand are swimming 
on the lake. A large swan is pointed out to us as a real 
" Irish wild swan." 

The following morning we go to the castle of the 
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. In the older parts of the 
tower, we are told, prisoners of state were confined years 
ago. The dungeons were used in this manner for five 
hundred years. 

After visiting the museums, where we see curious 
jewels and other relics of pagan and early Christian eras, 
we go to the silk mills, where the beautiful Irish fabrics 
called poplins are made. The women of our party make 
many purchases before their departure from Dublin. 
Our boys, too, buy neckties of Irish poplin. 

In the. afternoon we visit some of the poorer sections 
of the city. No city in the world has such extremes of 
wealth and poverty as Dublin. We walk a little way along 
one street. In a moment the beggars are thronging about 
us. Plaintively they appeal to the girls of our party : " Will 
you give me a copper, la-i-dy ? I 'm famished with cold. 
I 'm perishing with hunger. I '11 say a prayer for you, 
me la-i-dy! " 

We find the poor are so numerous that public provi- 
sion is made for their wants. We enter one of the " shel- 
ters." Here a poor man can get a blanket and "floor 
space " for twopence. A tick on the floor with a blanket 
and sheets costs a man or woman threepence. A child 
pays twopence. There are separate rooms for men and 
for women. The women appear even more haggard and 
weary than the men. How terrible it all is ! We can 
never forget the poverty, degradation, and filth we have 
seen in the lower section of this beautiful city of Dublin. 

The next day we go to some of the many iron found- 
ries. We also visit biscuit factories, and mills that make 



INDUSTRIES 



229 



ploughs and other farm implements. We find that soap 
and candles, ships and silk, are among the foremost pro- 
ductions of the city. The chief of all, however, are porter 
and whiskey. The breweries of Dublin have the largest 
output of any in the world. We see many more apart- 
ment houses than we found in Belfast. But we are, above 




SCIENCE AND ART MUSEUM 

all, impressed by the fact that Dublin is a city of impos- 
ing public and government buildings. 

Dublin has no harbor of its own, but an excellent one 
has been made at Kingstown at the mouth of the Liffey, 
the river which flows through the city. Directly across 
the Irish Sea are the mines and manufacturing towns of 
Lancashire, England. Business with them makes Dublin 
a busy commercial city. It is also a great railway centre. 
The many canals, too, which enter the Liffey, aid in the 
commerce. The adjacent region is the best tilled in Ire- 
land. 

Fortunately, we are in Dublin when the annual horse 



230 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY 

show is held. In the afternoon we enter a tram and ride 
to the grounds, which are on the borders of the city. We 
walk through the stables, where we find hundreds of the 
most beautiful horses we have ever seen. The grooms 
are busy, and many of the owners, also, are here looking 
after the wants of their steeds. 

We follow the throng of people that is moving toward 
the exhibition grounds. Ladies in beautiful gowns, and 
men from every country in Europe, are here. We recog- 
nize many Americans. So great is the crowd that we are 
unable to obtain seats, so we stand while we are watching 
the horses in the course. This afternoon the judges are 
having the trials of the hunters and jumpers. Artificial 
ditches and mounds have been made at intervals on the 
course. In a few minutes we are specially interested in one 
small horse which, with little apparent effort, leaps grace- 
fully over the mounds and walls, and across the ditches. 

Some of the horses, as they leap, strike the tops of the 
loose walls with their hoofs. All these jumpers are ruled 
out. The little horse we admire continually distances all 
his rivals. More and more of the jumpers are taken out 
of the trial because they do not clear the walls without 
striking some of the loose stones. At last, only four 
horses are left to compete. Our little' jumper easily out- 
runs them all. The first prize is his. How proud his 
owner is ! That man who is talking to him is a duke, and 
he is trying to purchase the beautiful little winner. 

Carriage horses, jumpers, ponies, — horses of many 
kinds are brought to Dublin for the horse show, which 
is a great annual event. And here, too, come many thou- 
sands of interested men and women to see the exhibition. 
As we look about us in the crowd, we at once conclude 
that the Irish women are the most beautiful of any that 
we have seen in the British Isles. 



HOME OF THE IRISH KINGS 231 

The next day we devote to an excursion to Tara, 
where, years ago, ancient kings of Ireland had their 
homes. Many stories of the one hundred and forty mas- 
ter monarchs who dwelt here are told us by our talkative 
guide. One of the kings was Laeghaire, who was buried 
standing erect, clad in his armor. His face, even in 
death, was turned to his foes. We see the huge mound 
of earth, four hundred feet long, which covers his 
body. 

Our guide leads us to the site of the great banqueting 
hall of the kings. It had fourteen doors, and was seven 
hundred feet long. Here the guests of the king were 
arranged at the feasts in the order of the importance of 
their positions, — the historians, poets, and priests com- 
ing first; the jesters and jugglers last. In the national 
museum at Dublin our party has already seen the gor- 
geous golden dress of the kings, and the wonderful Tara 
brooch which fastened the king's crimson cloak. At Tara 
we are shown the famous stone of destiny, on which the 
Irish kings were crowned. Near it is an imposing statue 
of St. Patrick, who naturally visited the place often in 
his labors. The harp of King Brian Boru also interests 
us. The harp is the national musical instrument of Ire- 
land, and even now it can be seen on the monuments in 
some of the villages in the interior of the island. Just as 
Erin is still loved by her children, so is the harp, — the 
symbol of her music and romance and poetry. While we 
are at Tara, one of the ladies of our party reads aloud 
some of the Irish Melodies that Tom Moore wrote. 
Among the words are these: — 

The harp that once through Tara's halls 

The soul of music shed, 
Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls 

As if that soul were fled. 



232 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY 

No more to chiefs and ladies bright 

The harp of Tara swells ; 
The chord alone, that breaks at night, 

Its tale of ruin tells. 

In spite of her poverty to-day, Ireland is, and has 
reason to be, proud of her wonderful history. Long be- 
fore Great Britain and Europe had begun to be really 
civilized, the little island lying out here in the Atlantic 
had her scholars and her saintly missionaries, who were 




CUTTING PEAT 

busily spreading education and religion all over the Brit- 
ish Isles. Then, what famous poets and orators the land 
has had ! In recent times, the sons of Ireland in France, 
Spain, America, and England, have shown their greatness. 
At last we are started on our way to the cities of the 
South. As we ride across the country from Dublin, we 
see many market gardens near the city. Farther on we 
come to fertile plains, and still farther we see great bogs 



BOGS AND FARMS 233 

that extend for miles. In these bogs we obtain glimpses 
of people cutting peat, or "turf," as many of the Irish 
call it. The peat is used for fuel, as it contains sufficient 
carbon (the remains of the forests that once covered the 
land) to burn readily. It is much cheaper than coal, and 
provides the only fire the peasants have. The peat is cut 
by a sharp spade into blocks not much larger than an 
ordinary brick. It is piled as bricks are, too. We see 
many of these piles of peat as we ride through the country. 

The farms, we find, are more scattered than in Eng- 
land, and the homes of the peasants are less attractive, 
except in the more prosperous regions. The houses and 
barns are mostly thatched, and the great houses of the 
gentry — the landed proprietors — are magnificent in their 
contrast with the humble abodes of the poor. Until re- 
cently, the Irish peasants have claimed that if they did 
improve their houses, the result was that they had to pay 
more rent. Perhaps this explains why so many of these 
places are neglected. 

Recently the land laws have been somewhat improved. 
Some maintain that the laws now governing the sale of 
Irish lands are the best in the kingdom. At all events, 
we know the Irish have been sorely oppressed in years 
gone by. To-day many are buying the lands they culti- 
vate. If a better day has come for Ireland, all the world 
will rejoice. 

From the windows of our car we occasionally see crom- 
lechs — piles of stones — that remind us of Stonehenge. 
Doubtless, these stones — one huge stone resting upon 
several that uphold it — are the remains of ancient altars. 
They add greatly to the picturesqueness of the landscape. 
Many of the valleys of the Emerald Isle are famous for 
the traditions connected with them, as well as for their 
beauty and fertility. 



234 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY 

One of our boys secured in Dublin a little book, which 
he has been reading diligently since we left the city. He 
has learned that more than half the land of Ireland is 
given up to pasturage or to raising hay. The potato is the 
leading vegetable, although fewer potatoes are raised now 
than sixty years ago. 1 Valuable as the potato is for food, 
the change is doubtless good. When a country is depend- 




A FARMING SECTION 

ent on one crop, the failure of that crop brings on a fam- 
ine such as Ireland many times has suffered. 

Other vegetables we see growing in the fields are beets, 
turnips, carrots, parsnips, peas, beans, and cabbages. 
There are also fields of wheat, oats, barley, and rye. Not 
so much grain (except oats) is grown as in former years. 
Other countries can produce better and cheaper wheat. 
Besides, the climate of Ireland, which is adapted to rais- 
ing flax, is too moist for wheat. 

1 In 1 85 1, there were 868,501 acres of potatoes ; in 1905, the acre- 
age was 616,755. 



HORSES AND CATTLE 235 

The Irish horses, aside from the thoroughbreds, are not 
so large as the English. They are hardy, somewhat shaggy, 
and very active. In all Ireland there are about six hun- 
dred thousand horses, and nearly half as many donkeys. 
Indeed, in the country districts, the donkey almost seems 
to be a favorite. On market days you may see many little 
two-wheeled carts drawn by these sturdy little animals. 
The driver may be an old woman, and her cart perhaps 
is filled with the produce she is taking to market. Some- 
times a pig or a sheep is in the cart. Very likely, if the 
woman has been successful in her trading, when she re- 
turns from the market her cart will be filled with people 
who have walked to town. All are laughing or singing. 
No merrier people can be found than the Irish. Even in 
the poorest parts of the land, where the poverty is so 
dire that it is almost true that they "keep the pig in the 
parlor," the little barefoot children greet you with a smile, 
and the men or women will joke with you, especially if 
you are from America, which is a land they all love. 

The only native cattle are the Kerry, of which we see 
many. They are black, small, with long horns, and can 
thrive even on scanty food. Many other kinds of cattle, 
however, are seen on the island. 

The sheep number more than three and a half million. 
Usually every autumn, the farmers drive their flocks to 
the nearest fair (there are many sheep fairs each year in 
various parts of Ireland), and there make their sales. The 
largest number of sheep and the best are raised in the 
West, but they are common almost everywhere, though 
fewest are found in the region where flax flourishes. 
Why is that ? 

Pigs are so common that there are few families in the 
rural regions that do not keep one. The Irishman and his 
pig are familiar to us all. We see many men driving their 



236 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY 

pigs to market. Each man has a rope tied to one of his 
pig's feet. In his hand the driver usually carries a stout 
club or shillalah. No animal raised for food is so common 
or so useful in Ireland as the pig. Chickens, however, 
are almost as common. The fish, caught in the nearby 
ocean waters, as well as the salmon found in the streams, 
also aid in providing food as well as occupation for the 
people. 

At Athlone, a large village in the centre of Ireland, we 
leave our train. Here we are to take a steamer which goes 
down the Shannon. Before we embark, we walk through 
some of the streets of Athlone. We meet bright-faced 
Irish boys and girls returning from the woolen mills in 
which they work. We walk past the castle that stands on 
the bank of the Shannon. We see great barracks and 
many scarlet-clad soldiers. Athlone, because of its loca- 
tion, is a very important military station. In spite of the 
prevalent feeling toward England, many young Irishmen 
are in the army. The commander himself, Lord Roberts, 
was born in Ireland. 

We go down the Shannon to Limerick, a city of forty 
thousand, situated at the head of the estuary of the river, 
sixty miles from the sea. The Shannon is the longest and 
largest river in the British Isles. Rising among the north- 
ern hills, it flows southward through the middle of the 
island, passing from one little lake into another. In its 
basin are found the most fertile plains in Ireland. The 
products of the many little farms of the region must be 
carried to the nearest ports, and the numerous canals we 
see assist in this task, although there is a busy traffic on 
the railroads, as well as on the Shannon, which practically 
is the only navigable stream in Ireland. 

Before we arrive at our destination, we pass through a 
section of the Golden Vale, a valley so wonderfully green, 



LIMERICK 237 

containing so many fields of grain and vegetables, and 
having within its borders so many great flocks and herds, 
that we readily perceive why it received its name. The 
pastures of the Golden Vale are the best in the British 
Isles. Here it does not seem possible that poverty can 
ever come. Perhaps if the people who live here were 
the owners of the beautiful region, it would not be 
found. 

We find that Limerick is situated on both sides of the 
Shannon (or rather on its estuary), from which point a deep 
broad outlet extends to the sea. It is a busy railway centre. 
Through the canals that centre here, the city also easily 
reaches out to the entire island. 

Limerick is a busy industrial town as well as a thriving 
port. We find, as we drive about the city, that there are 
many flour mills here. When we talk with one of the 
owners, he smilingly says to us, "We are glad to import 
your wheat, but not your flour. If we have mills of our 
own, they provide work for our people." Perhaps the feel- 
ing the man expressed is one of the reasons why the 
United Kingdom is importing less flour and more grain 
from America than once it did. 

We inspect some of the big factories where uniforms for 
soldiers and police are made, and we pass foundries, tan- 
neries, and mills of various kinds. Like every other Irish 
city, Limerick has large distilleries. From the nearby 
regions every week thousands of pigs are driven into 
Limerick, and provide the ham and bacon, the curing 
and packing of which make up one of the leading indus- 
tries of the city. The girls and their mothers exclaim 
over the dainty Limerick lace, and make many pur- 
chases. 

We do not understand why a city so well located and 
possessingso many advantages does not grow. The porter 



238 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY 

of our hotel, however, tells us of the thousands of young 
Irish people who have left Limerick for the States, or 
Australia, or Canada, and then we understand. 

At last we are on our way to Killarney, and are eager 
to see her beautiful lakes. From the window of our car, 
in our journey southward, we see hills and cliffs, and the 
many bays and the broken shore of the coast. Indeed, we 
learn that the west coast of Ireland is wilder and more 
broken than is any other shore of the British Isles. On the 
East and even on the South of Ireland, the shore line is 
less irregular. The wild waves of the stormy Atlantic can 
make deeper inroads into the land than the choppy storms 
of the Channel or Irish Sea. 

When we arrive at Killarney we find it but a village of 
six thousand inhabitants. There are good hotels, how- 
ever, because every summer thousands of people come to 
view the picturesque lake scenery. 

The drivers of the jaunting cars are so persistent in 
their demands for us to engage them that they follow us 
almost to the entrance of our hotel. On the streets we see 
that the Irish women are wrapped in shawls and do not 
wear hats. It rains so often that a shawl is a more reli- 
able protection than an umbrella, and, besides, it lasts 
longer. As we walk about the town, we see that the streets 
are narrow and not very clean, and there appear to be 
many poor people. If the tourists did not come, the vil- 
lagers would have great difficulty in obtaining a living. 
Donkeys are more often seen than ponies. At certain 
hours in the day, we see many little two-wheeled carts, 
each drawn by a patient donkey, and driven by an old 
woman, who has come to town to dispose of her farm 
produce or to sell a sheep or a pig. 

But if the village of Killarney is not attractive, the 
surrounding region certainly is. The high sloping hills, 



KILLARNEY 



239 




FAIR DAY AT KILLARNEY 



the deep green of the grass and foliage, even the showers 
which are likely to fall at any time are all beautiful. 

We are to remain three days in this charming region, 
and the first day we spend in driving. We visit the home 
of the Earl of Kenmare, and also go to some of the fa- 
mous old castles in the region. Sometimes our road leads 
through the grounds or preserves of an earl, and our way 
is barred by gates which our driver must open before we 
proceed. The land is not fertile, and parts of it are given 
over to game, which the nobility shoot in the autumn. 
The roads are excellent and well kept. No matter how 
poor the people may be, the little they have is dependent 
on the coming of tourists, and tourists do not ride over 
rough roads when smoother may be had. 

The people, in spite of their poverty, are as witty as 
the Irish generally are. One of our girls in our first drive 
is fearful that the frequent showers will harm her new 



240 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY 

hat. When she sees a cloud gathering about the summit 
of one of the hills, she asks the driver if he does not 
think it will soon rain again. 

" No, Miss," he replies, with a twinkle in his eye. " 'T is 
just a bit o' perspiration on the mountain, that's all. 
Yonder," he continues, as he points to a deep hole in the 
hillside, "is the divil's punch bowl." 

"Does he own anything in Ireland ?" inquires one of 
our boys banteringly. 

"Indade, that's ivery inch he has, an' he 's an absentee 
landlord, sorr ! " 

" Where is he now ? " 

" I '11 tell yez. No one has iver found the bottom of 
that lake, 'tis so dape. 'Tis said, sorr, that the divil 
slipped in there one day an' niver was sane agin in Oire- 
land. That dape spot in the lake goes straight through 
the airth, an' whin the divil slipped in there, he wint 
clane through to the other side." 

" Where did he appear ? " laughs one of the boys. 

"'Dade, an' I dunno ; but 't is reported he showed up 
in America, an' that he loiked the country so well he's 
stayed there iver since. I 've niver been in America 
mesilf, so I can't say. Perhaps some of yez can till me 
whether he 's there now or no." 

The Killarney Lakes, we learn, are three in number. 
The Upper Lake is small, covering only a little more than 
four hundred acres. The overhanging Purple Mountain 
rises near the shore. In the little lake are many small 
islands. On some of them we see ruins of buildings 
erected in the early days of Irish history. 

The Middle Lake is larger by half than the Upper 
Lake. Along its shores we behold wild, bleak mountains. 
Between them flows the Long Range, the stream that 
unites the two little lakes. The " Meeting of the Waters," 



THE LAKES OF KILLARNEY 



241 



as the place where the narrow little stream enters the 
Middle Lake is called, is near a quaint old bridge. The 
swift, clear waters, the green foliage on the banks, the 
Eagle's Nest, — a hill having steep sides that rise seven- 
teen hundred feet from the shore, — the heavy, floating 
clouds on the hillside, the silence that rests over the 
place, make the spot one of rare beauty. 

The third lake — Lough Leane — is the largest of the 
three. It is five miles long and in places three miles wide. 




ONE OF THE LAKES OF KILLARNEY 



Here, too, on shore and islands, we find ruins that are 
eloquent of the greatness of Ireland's history. In the dis- 
tance we behold the summits of the highest mountains 
in Ireland, the MacGillicuddy Reeks. Between the lake 
and these ranges are other high hills, among which the 
wonderful Gap of Dunloe extends five miles. 

On the following day we visit this Gap. We take our 
seats in a coach and ride to the entrance, where we alight 
and mount ponies or donkeys. There are boys awaiting 



242 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY 

us to lead our ponies. When we have completed our ride 
through the narrow defile between the steep, rocky hills, 
the boys turn to us with extended hands for their " tips." 
One of our party gives his leader a crown, but the lad 
glibly whines for more. When we return to Lough Leane 
from our trip to the Gap of Dunloe, we seat ourselves in 
rowboats. While our boatmen are rowing us over the 
lakes, they relate many wonderful tales of weird events 
in the region, and also point out the places of special in- 
terest. In the dim light of the late afternoon, the line 
of rowboats, the rocky shores, and the songs or conver- 
sation of the boatmen are all most interesting. 

We can leave Killarney by coach or we can go by auto- 
mobiles. When we depart we select the latter. We are 
to go to Macroom, eighty miles eastward, where we ex- 
pect to take a train for Cork. The ride along the shores 
of the lakes, and then on through long defiles over which 
bleak mountains hang, is the most picturesque we have 
had in the British Isles. We pass through tunnels, we 
come to little villages (which are not attractive or even 
clean), we see an occasional fertile farm ; but most of our 
ride is through a wild, barren region that is grand, but 
not good for homes. Most of the scattered houses we 
pass are rilled with children. A cow and pig are almost 
always a part of each household. 

When at last we arrive at the place where we are to 
board our train, we are again struck by the manifest lack 
of cleanness in the streets, in the houses, even in the 
appearance of the grimy-faced boys and girls. A man in 
our compartment explains to us that the people are pov- 
erty-stricken. They have long been oppressed, and are 
discouraged and almost hopeless. He also informs us that 
many more people from the South of Ireland than from 
the North have gone to America. As we look about us, 



CORK 



243 



we understand why they went. The man further explains 
that " if the remaining people had the price of the fare 
to America they, too, would go there." 

After a journey of an hour we are in Cork, which we 
find is a busy city of less than a hundred thousand people. 
The country around Cork is wonderfully fertile and at- 
tractive. It presents a marked contrast to the region 
through which we have just come. Even in Cork, how- 




PATRICK STREET, CORK 



ever, we hear of the failure of the city to grow because 
so many of the young men have gone to the States, or 
to Canada or Australia. 

We find the people of Cork more typically Irish (or 
Celtic) than those of any of the large cities we have vis- 
ited. They are strong and sturdy, and are as full of fun as 
they can be. Even the clerks in the shops have a smile 
for us when we enter, and every one is willing to answer 
the many questions we ask. 



244 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY 

In the evening after our arrival, we walkabout the city. 
We find St. Patrick's name much in evidence. This wide 
busy street on which we are now is named St. Patrick. 
His name is given to churches, bridges, and boys alike. 
The people of Cork are as loyal to Ireland as are the people 
of Dublin. 

The following morning we buy green-tinted newspapers 
from barefooted newsboys. When we go to the thronged 
market-place, we see in the crowds stout women wearing 
black shawls and heavy shoes. Many of these women 
have come to town from the country in their little don- 
key carts. They have brought loads of butter, potatoes, 
berries, or other products of the farm. 

In Cork, too, we find great breweries and distilleries, 
as well as iron foundries, and woolen mills where tweeds 
are made. Ships, also, are built here. It is easy to see 
that Cork is the busiest as well as the largest city in 
southern Ireland. It is located on the river Lee, and is 
an important railway centre. The port of Cork is at 
Queenstown, twenty miles away. The river all the way 
from the harbor to the city is deep, and the traffic is con- 
siderable. . Much of the produce of the fertile country 
about Cork, as well as the goods manufactured in the 
city, here find their outlet. 

The following day we go to Blarney Castle, seven miles 
from Cork. Our boys say that they intend to kiss the 
Blarney Stone. We secure jaunting cars, but before we 
leave the city we stop at the old church of St. Anne's. In 
the tower of this church are the Shandon Bells, which are 
dear to the hearts of the Irish people. Our driver recites 
the song, " The Shandon Bells," written by Father Prout. 
In his rich brogue we, too, find the words beautiful : — 

With deep affection and recollection 
I often think of the Shandon bells, 



TO BLARNEY CASTLE 



245 



Whose sounds so wild would, in days of childhood, 

Fling round my cradle their magic spells. 
On this I ponder, where'er I wander, 

And thus grow fonder, sweet Cork, of thee ; 
With thy bells of Shandon, 
That sound so grand on 
The pleasant waters of the river Lee. 

After riding through some fine streets containing beau- 
tiful residences, past the grounds of the college (of which 
Cork is very proud), and past some imposing public build- 
ings, we find ourselves in the country. The fields are rich 
and well tilled, and the whitewashed walls of the thatched 
houses and barns of the tenants are neat and comfortable. 

We pass stately houses 
of the landed proprie- 
tors. We go through 
several little hamlets 
that are much more at- 
tractive than those we 
saw about Killarney. 
Choice cattle and sheep 
are in the fields. The 
fences are hedgerows, 
as they are in England, 
— not stone walls, as 
they are in Scotland. 

At last we arrive at 
Blarney Castle, which 
we find is a ruin. We climb the worn stone steps, and 
pass from one "room" to another, until we are standing 
near the Blarney Stone. 

The mothers in our party instantly declare that no one 
shall attempt to kiss the stone. As we look at it, we are 
quite willing to obey their command. The famous stone 




BLARNEY CASTLE 



246 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY 

is the lower sill of a window in the outer wall, and is one 
hundred and twenty feet above the ground. Between it 
and the floor on which we are standing is an open space 
a yard wide. The only way we can kiss the stone is to lie 
on our backs, have some one hold our feet, and then, with 
our heads outstretched try to reach up under the stone. 
Even if we succeed we must be drawn back by our feet. 
It is well-nigh impossible to accomplish the feat if one is 
alone. 

On our return, we walk through the well-kept grounds 
adjoining the castle to the place where we have left our 
jaunting cars. When we have taken our seats in the cars, 
one of our boys asks his driver : " What does kissing the 
Blarney Stone do for one ? " 

"'Tis said, sorr, 't will make one very iloquent." 

"Did you ever kiss it ? " 

" I did thot, last May, come a year ago." 

" Has it made you eloquent ?" 

" Not yit, sorr," replies the driver, his eyes twinkling. 

" It isn't safe," says one of the girls. 

" Indade, an' you 're correct, madam. Two years ago a 
man fell to the ground tryin' to kiss the stone." 

"Did the fall kill him ? " asks one of the boys. 

" No, sorr. He caught in the tree there. But he was 
iloquent. 'T is said he was so iloquent, whin he was 
hangin' by his clothes in that tree, that th' people within 
half a mile could all hear him. Sure, 't is wonderful strong 
— the effect of kissing th' Blarney Stone." 

When we return to Cork our party is once more di- 
vided, — those whom we shall accompany to return to 
Dublin by the way of Waterford and the coast line. The 
others are to go again into the Golden Vale and visit a 
few famous places in that region. 

Our first stop is Waterford, which we find is another 



WATERFORD 



247 



typically Irish city of nearly thirty thousand. Located at 
the outlet of the basins of the Barrow, Suir, and Nore, 
sheltered from the storms by Hook Head, it has a large 
export trade in cattle raised on the fertile lands behind 
the city. Potatoes as fine as we have ever seen are grown 
in this region, and oats, butter, and bacon are other 
articles of export. 

Along the broken coast on our way northward we pass 




WATERFORD 



many little villages. In the Vale of Avoca we become 
enthusiastic at sight of the beautiful pastures, in which 
the grass is of a still deeper green than we have yet seen 
in the Emerald Isle. 

At Dublin our party is again united. Our friends give 
us enthusiastic accounts of their feelings as they again 
entered the Golden Vale on their way back to Dublin. 
Here the best wheat on the island is grown. Here, too, 



> 4 8 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY 




THE VALE OF AVOCA 



they saw great herds of sleek cattle. Next to Cork, the 
little town of Tipperary, located in the Golden Vale, is 
the largest butter market in the island. 

Their deepest interest was aroused when they went to 
the famous Rock of Cashel, a bold, rocky height that 
stands alone in the midst of dark green pasture lands, a 
few miles from Tipperary. On this great rock, they saw 
the ruins of a cathedral, a chapel, and some large build- 
ings, which were used by monks hundreds of years ago. 
They climbed the steps of the quaint round tower, and 
all stopped to admire the great stone cross, which is of 
special interest to tourists because it is one of the few 
remaining original Irish crosses. Our travelers were in- 
formed that the ruins on Rock Cashel are among the 
finest in Europe, and that doubtless some of them date 
back to the days of the Druids, long before St. Patrick 
came to Ireland. 

The next day the party expects to start for Wales 



ISLE OF MAN 249 

across the Irish Sea. Some of our boys, however, are so 
eager to stop at the Isle of Man, the largest island in 
the Irish Sea, that they decide to spend a day in visiting 
it. We will, therefore, accompany them, while the other 
members of our party remain in Dublin awaiting our re- 
turn. 

After a short voyage northward we arrive at the Isle 
of Man, — a quaint little land, only thirty miles long and 




THE ROCK OF CASHEL 



ten miles wide, inhabited by people called Manxmen, who 
really are Irish, or Celtic. Although they largely govern 
themselves and have their own judges, the island itself 
belongs to England. The political constitution of the Isle 
of Man is said to be the oldest in Europe. As we travel 
about, we see ranges of high hills in which are lead, cop- 
per, silver, and iron mines, as well as many slate quar- 
ries. In the valleys are some fertile fields; but without 



250 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY 

the mines, the hardy race would find it difficult to sup- 
port its population of fifty-five thousand. The only city 
we visit is Douglas, the capital, which has a population 
of twenty thousand. 

Although the Manxmen are within sixteen miles of 
the shores of Scotland, and within thirty of the English 
coast, they proudly cherish their own peculiar customs 
and language. Even their cats, we find, are unlike those 
of the mainland, for they do not have any tails. 

The day after the return of our boys from their brief 
trip to the Isle of Man, our party is ready to leave Ire- 
land. We sail from the port of Dublin, — Kingstown, — to 
Holyhead in Wales. The voyage requires less than five 
hours, for the distance is only sixty-five miles, and we 
have to take a fast boat. 

"There is one crop raised in Ireland which we have 
not studied," says one of the men, as we stand on deck 
looking back at the Irish coast. 

"What is that?" inquires one of our boys. 

"John Barleycorn! The Irish have been oppressed 
and heavily taxed. They have a right to complain. And 
yet their taxes are only $45,000,000 a year, while they 
pay $70,000,000 a year for drink! That is a big bill for 
any country to pay. A land like Ireland, least of all, can 
afford it." 

" Perhaps if the people were not so poor their drink 
bill would not be so large," suggests some one. What 
did he mean ? 

" Ireland's appeal for help has received very generous 
responses," continues the man who had spoken of the 
poverty of the land. " Large sums of money every year 
are sent home from America by the Irish men and women 
who have become Americans. Were it not for this fact, 
the poverty would be even more dire than it now is. The 



IRISH-AMERICANS 251 

love of Erin is strong wherever her sons are found." 
Does this mean that Ireland is dearer to the Irish in 
America than is the United States ? 

An Irish-American once answered this question by the 
Yankee method of asking another : " Does a man love 
his wife less because he has also a mother? " 

QUESTIONS 

Locate and compare Dublin and Belfast. What American 
cities have the same population as these two cities ? 

Mention three famous Irish poets, orators, generals, states- 
men. 

What are the chief industries of Dublin ? What is Irish pop- 
lin ? With what part of England does Dublin do the most busi- 
ness ? Why ? 

What is peat ? 

Where was the home of the Irish kings ? 

Locate Limerick, and mention three of its leading industries. 

Mention two " vales " of Ireland. For what is each famous ? 

Where are the Lakes of Killarney ? How many are there ? 

Why is there more poverty in the South of Ireland than in 
the North ? 

What is the chief crop ? 

Why is the population of Ireland less than it was fifty years 
ago? 

Locate Cork, Waterford, Tipperary, the Rock of Cashel. 
For what is each best known ? 

Mention four characteristics of the Irish. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

A day in an Irish village. 

Look up and tell briefly the story of the life of some famous 
Irish orator or poet. 

A visit to Blarney Castle or to the Isle of Man. 



CHAPTER XV 
in st. david's land 

Holyhead — Size of Wales — Hills and Valleys — Carnarvon — Prince of Wales 
— Mt. Snowdon — Bettys-y-Coed — Welsh Festival — Conway — Llandudno — 
Northern Wales — Merthyr-Tydfil — Cardiff — Swansea — Southern Wales — 
Carmarthen — St. David's — St. David's Head — Homeward Bound. 

The afternoon is fair, and our voyage from Kingstown 
to Holyhead is thoroughly enjoyable. The swift steamer 
is soon out of sight of land, and for five hours we are 
tossing on waves that sometimes are more troublesome 
than those on the broad Atlantic, because the cross-cur- 
rents here make the sea " choppy." 

The boat is filled with passengers. As we move about 
the decks, we meet many Americans who are on their 
way home. September is the month when most of the 
tourists from the States are returning to America. 

The first sight of any part of Wales is that of the long- 
point of land that projects far out into the water and 
makes Holyhead an excellent harbor. A great lighthouse, 
its grounds and whitewashed buildings inclosed by walls 
which also are whitewashed, like many similar structures 
in the British Isles, glistens before us in the light of the 
setting sun. 

Soon we land at the busy little seaport town of Holy- 
head, which is the terminus of the great railway route 
between London and Dublin. We watch our fellow pas- 
sengers rushing for the long trains on the dock. Some 
of the travelers are pale, and plainly show they have not 
enjoyed crossing the Irish Sea. There is no time for de- 
lay, however, for the trains are fast expresses for London, 
and do not wait for people to recover from seasickness. 

In great bundles of twenty or more, trunks are being 



WALES 253 

lifted by a crane from the hold of the steamer. Bustling 
porters are transferring them to the baggage cars. We 
stop to watch the busy scene. In a little while, we enter 
our hotel, which is a part of the station itself. 

In the evening we do not leave the hotel. There is a 
blazing fire of Welsh coal on the grates in our rooms, and 
we are glad to watch its flames and listen to one of the 
boys as he reads aloud to us the story of Wales. 

We learn that Wales is now a tiny land, much smaller 
than it was before the English pushed its borders west- 
ward. To-day a line drawn from the mouth of the Dee 
straight southward to the Bristol Channel would very 
nearly form the eastern border. In all Wales there are 
only seventy-four hundred square miles. The famous 
little country is a trifle smaller than New Jersey. 

"I don't understand why Wales ever could have been 
a separate country, it is so small, and then it really is a 
part of England. How did the people ever have a land of 
their own ? " inquires one of our boys thoughtfully. 

" In the first place, it is a land of steep high mountains," 
replies his father. " In the narrow little valleys the old 
Welsh, or Celtic, people found places of refuge which 
they easily held against invaders. Then, too, the hills are 
bleak and barren and the moors are not very fertile. The 
inducement for outsiders to come was not very strong. 
At best, such lands could not support many people." 

" But Wales is a busy land now." 

" Parts of it are very busy. The hills in the North and 
South contain coal, iron, and slate. Where these minerals 
are, there, too, we find people working the mines. There 
has come of late a great change from the lonely life and 
the poverty of the days when the Celtic chieftains ruled 
the struggling tribes that lived among the hills. The wild 
beauty of the Welsh mountains, the rocky coast, and the 



254 



IN ST. DAVID'S LAND 



many attractive summer resorts, have brought people to 

Wales in recent years in increasing numbers. " 
" What have the Welsh been best known for ? " 
" For their sturdy and earnest ways. They are the real 

Britons. The English, as you know, are largely Saxons. 

The Welshmen are a serious people, like most of those 





-: : : v -•- | 


y - «3« 




1 


V 



A WELSH CAMP-MEETING 

who live among the hills. They have furnished some ora- 
tors, and are an active and energetic race." 

In the morning we walk about the streets of Holyhead. 
The people we meet are quiet in their manners. When 
we speak to them, we sometimes find it difficult to under- 
stand their replies, even when these are in English. There 
are so many consonants in the Welsh words that the 
language sounds strange to us, but it is not unmusical. 
We see some familiar names on the signs of the stores. 
Among these names, Davis and Jones are most numerous. 
The streets are irregular, and are attractive only because 



PRINCE OF WALES 255 

theyare quaint. We find that the town of Holyhead is on 
a tiny island of the same name, lying up snugly against 
Anglesea, another and much larger island. 

Holyhead Island is rocky and barren, but Anglesea, we 
notice, as we ride through it in the train, is a flat country, 
and on its level pastures we see many cattle feeding, — 
not so many of the black Irish and Scotch breed as of the 
English breeds. 

Our train is bearing us swiftly to Carnarvon, and soon 
we are passing over the bridge that crosses the Menai 
Strait, the narrow strip of water which divides Anglesea 
from the mainland. After a short journey, we arrive at 
Carnarvon, where we shall remain until the following 
morning. We walk through quaint, narrow, old streets to 
the castle which the English king, Edward I, began away 
back in 1283. We can see why a fort was needed here, 
and what a strong place it must have made it in early 
days. 

Our party are interested in the grim walls, more than 
seven feet thick, and in the high turrets and towers, of 
which there are thirteen. The guide informs us that the 
first Prince of Wales, Edward II, was born here in 1284, 
in the Eagle Tower. We quote some English historians 
who maintain that the little prince did not first see the 
light at Carnarvon. Our guide is insistent, however, and 
declares that " the Welsh ought to know better than the 
English." We do not dispute him. He also relates stories 
of the terrible sieges and fierce fightings that occurred 
here when Edward I was trying to conquer the Welsh 
warriors. How shrewd King Edward was, after he won 
his victory ! When the Welsh pleaded for a ruler who 
should be one of their own people, King Edward I pre- 
sented to them his little son, Edward II, who had been 
born in Wales during the war. To this day, the eldest 



256 



IN ST. DAVID'S LAND 



son of the King of England is called the Prince of Wales. 
Our guide, however, explains that the Welshmen now are 
loyal to England — " the only serious protest being that 
which was made when the Englishman advocated that 
the old Welsh language should no longer be taught in the 
schools of Wales." 

The next day we start for Mt. Snowdon, riding through 
a region of high hills and narrow valleys, which form a 














MT. SNOWDON 



strong contrast to the level lands of Anglesea. Snowdon 
is 3590 feet high, the highest peak in Great Britain south 
of Scotland. On our way we pass many hills in which the 
slate quarries have made great gashes like scars on the 
hillsides. 

The quarries are numerous. The few villages we pass 
are clustered about them. Population is not dense in this 
part of Wales. 

When we arrive at our destination, we find that Mt. 



SNOWDON 257 

Snowdon really consists of five peaks. We learn, too, that 
the name of the mountain is not altogether accurate, for 
the snow line is eight hundred feet higher than its sum- 
mit. In summer, the hillsides are bare of snow. 

We are informed that there are several different routes 
and ways of ascent. We select ponies and donkeys for our 
party to ride. As we begin our ascent* our guide points 
out places of special interest in the distance. We try to 
pronounce the words after him, but we stumble over Crib- 
y-Ddysgyl and Clogwyn-du'r-Arddu and other names of 
neighboring peaks. 

The pathway we are following is not so difficult as some, 
and we slowly and steadily make our way upward, hoping 
the clouds will not hide our view when we arrive at the 
summit. The ponies are hardy and the climb is not diffi- 
cult for them. Between two and three hours are required 
for the ascent, and when we arrive at the end of our jour- 
ney we are rejoiced because the day is clear. As soon as 
we have had our luncheon in one of the summit hotels, 
we set forth to see the wonderful view. 

Below us, on Snowdon itself, we see great ridges and 
hollows in the sides of the mountain that remind us of 
waves. Far away, we behold the distant waters of the sea. 
To-day we can see even the Isle of Man. We gaze at the 
summits of the high hills all about us. Even the highest 
seem quite low as we look down upon them. There are 
many little lakes before us, their waters glistening in the 
sunlight. The guide declares that he can see the Wick- 
low Hills in southern Ireland, seventy miles distant. W 7 e 
accept his word, for we are not able to distinguish clouds 
from hilltops, so far away. 

For two hours we walk about the wild summit of 
Snowdon, feasting our eyes on the rugged grandeur of 
the scene about us. The experience is one that we shall 



258 IN ST. DAVID'S LAND 

never forget, and we understand now why Wales is so 
proud of this mountain, as well as of the range of which 
it is a part. 

The descent of the mountain is more trying than our 
climb in the morning. When we arrive at our hotel in 
the valley, we are not long in retiring for the night's 
rest. 

We stop for a day only at Bettws-y-Coed (the "chapel 




BETTWS-Y-COED 

in the woods "), the best loved spot in Wales, — at least 
artists, anglers, and summer visitors love it best. Here 
the cliffs and hills, the walks and roads, the trees and 
flowers, all add to the beauty of the deep valley. The 
porter of our hotel informs us that not far away the 
Welsh people are having a festival, in which some of the 
ancient Welsh customs are being celebrated. When we 
arrive at the place, we hear the singing of the national 
airs. The Welsh are especially fond of singing. The 



CONWAY 



259 



• w 


w\ . 






^£^■3 J : : Mr? ^ 


0\ 


fjjafS' 1 * "" ^■* lp 



COSTUMES OF WELSH WOMEN 



quaint costumes of some of the women make the scene 
very picturesque. Yet how serious all these people are, 
even in their festivities ! 

After a short journey on the following morning, we 
stop at Conway. Here we visit the castle that is said to 
be the most beautiful in Wales. Our guide conducts us 
through the great banqueting hall, of which the roof and 
floor have crumbled and fallen. We try to picture to our- 
selves the scenes of long ago, when nobles and knights 
feasted — in the rude fashion of the age — in this great 
room one hundred and thirty feet long. Interesting as the 
place is, we are glad that we live in a time when men no 
longer throw under the table the bones and remnants of 
their feasts, and that knives, forks, and spoons are now 
used. We inspect the courts, the chapel, and the towers. 
We listen while our guide relates the story of the siege 
of King Edward I in this very castle. He tells us that 
the Welsh warriors would certainly have captured the 



260 



IN ST. DAVID'S LAND 



king and his followers if the river Conway had not sud- 
denly subsided, so that the king's army safely crossed to 
his rescue. 

In the afternoon we resume our journey. We stop at 
Llandudno, the favorite seaside resort on the Welsh 
coast. Thousands of people are here for their holidays, 
— mostly from the busy manufacturing towns in the 
North of England. The beach, we find, is wide, and cov- 




LLANDUDNO 



ered with gravel, not with sand. Here, too, we notice 
that the bathhouses are drawn by horses down into the 
water for the bathers to step out of conveniently. We 
walk leisurely on the long piers, stopping to watch some 
of the games. What throngs of people are on the walks ! 
As we look at them, we realize that we are in a foreign 
land. We stop and join the crowd in front of a Punch 
and Judy show. We all smile when we hear Punch call : 






NORTHERN WALES 2 6i 

"'I there, Judy, bring up the babby ! Hi don't hintend 
to call agane ! " 

High on the nearby promontory of Great Orme's 
Head, we drive on roads that circle the hillside. On the 
summit, high above the waters, we look out over a mar- 
velous stretch of sea and shore, of bays and rocky head- 
lands. Farbelowusweseethousandsofmovingpeoplewho 
have come to this attractive resort for rest and change. 
In the North of Wales, the slate industry is of chief 
importance, we have learned, although farm products are 
largely raised. Here, too, are many famous summer re- 
sorts, which add to the income of the people. Near the Dee 
are coal-mines and mines of zinc, lead, and china stone. 
Upon these and the few other local industries, the people 
depend mostly for support. But the region is thinly in- 
habited, and its chief features are the beauty of the hills 
and of the wild coast. 

The next day, when we start southward, we discover 
more evidences of successful labor. When we approach 
Merthyr- Tydfil, we find it a busy city. It is evening when 
we arrive. The city seems almost on fire, so great is the 
glow from its myriad iron furnaces. We are surprised 
when we are told that the iron from the nearby mines, 
although its presence gave rise to the iron industry about 
a hundred years ago, is so hard to work that most of that 
which is used is brought from other places. 

After luncheon the following day, we resume our jour- 
ney southward. We find on our ride to Cardiff that al- 
most every village we pass is either a mining or manu- 
facturing place. The country is wild and impressive. We 
look up at steep, frowning hillsides. The swift mountain 
streams are beautiful. The villages, however, are more 
busy than picturesque. Soon we pass through a fertile 
and attractive valley, in which we see thousands of sheep 



262 IN ST. DAVID'S LAND 



LANDSCAPE IN WALES 

pasturing. At last we arrive at Cardiff, the largest city of 
Wales. Here one hundred and seventy thousand people 
live. The city reminds us of the busy towns in the North 
of England. 

We devote our first day to driving about the city. We 
visit Cardiff University, — a college which has six hundred 
students, — and the Technical School, where there are 
seven times as many boys studying as in the college. How 
earnest the students are in their work ! We next drive to 
the great docks of Cardiff, that cover one hundred and 
twenty-four acres. We are amazed to find that the docks 
extend along the little river Taff all the way to the Bristol 
Channel, two miles away. 

We watch a host of men loading coal. Think of it ! — 
nearly twenty million tons of coal shipped from Cardiff 
in a single year ! But that is not nearly so much as Car- 
diff itself uses in her foundries and mills. 



CARDIFF 263 

We have learned to expect to find iron works near coal- 
mines, In Cardiff there is no exception to the rule. Iron 
mines are near by, and iron works and manufactories, we 
find, are so numerous that in the tonnage of exports, Car- 
diff leads even London, and is first among the ports of 
the world. In the value of its exports, however, Cardiff 
drops far back in the list. 

We are surprised when we are told that the tin mines 
we have visited in Cornwall and Devonshire send most of 
their output here. This fact explains to us why Cardiff 
and Swansea have the largest tin-plate industries in the 
world. One of the strange things we learn at the docks is 
that large quantities of palm oil are brought here from the 
west coast of Africa to use in the tin-plate industry. This 
oil is required as a "flux" in making tin-plate. 

We are amazed at the depth of the docks. As we look 
down, we see that the tides have left their marks for thirty- 
three feet on the walls. We recall what we learned at Bris- 
tol a few weeks ago, however, that the tides in the Bristol 
Channel are higher than anywhere else in Europe. 

We spend two busy days in Cardiff before we depart 
on our ride to Swansea, the second city of Wales. On our 
way we pass through many more villages than we found 
in the northern part of the little country. We are not sur- 
prised at this, because we have already learned that more 
than one third of the people of Wales dwell in the busy 
section near the Bristol Channel. 

We notice, too, how steep the hills are, and how narrow 
the valleys. We pass through one valley where the pos- 
sibility of making roads over the steep hills that shut it 
in seems hopeless. We inquire of the guard on our train 
how the people get out of this narrow pass. He informs 
us that those who dwell on one side of the hill have deal- 
ings with Cardiff, and those who have homes on the op- 



264 IN ST. DAVID'S LAND 

posite side do their trading in Swansea. As the distance 
from Cardiff to Swansea is only about forty miles, in less 
than two hours we are entering the city of one hundred 
thousand inhabitants. 

As we approach, we see that a heavy cloud rests over 
the place. A metallic odor penetrates even the car in 
which we are riding. In response to our queries, we are 
told by our guard that the cloud rises from the copper 
works of the city. 

Our first visit after our arrival is to some of the cop- 
per foundries. Our guide informs us that the output of 
copper is seldom less than twenty thousand tons a year. 
When he adds that nearly all the ore is brought to Swan- 
sea from Cornwall, and even from distant lands, it seems 
at first almost as if our explanation of the industries of 
the cities we have visited is at fault. 

« Why is the copper brought here ? " we inquire, in sur- 
prise. 

" Because coal is cheap, and there is so much of it here. 
I can take you to two hundred and fifty coal pits without 
going more than fifteen miles inland." 

So the cheapness of fuel, and the possession of a good 
harbor, sometimes do as much to build up a city as its lo- 
cation near the materials it uses in its factories. 

At Swansea we find, too, that more tin-plate is made 
than anywhere else in the British Isles. But the tin itself 
is mostly brought from the mines of Cornwall and from 
other places. The easy transportation by water and the 
cheapness of fuel explain why tin, as well as copper, has 
had so much to do in building up Swansea. 

Aside from its busy factories and immense docks, there 
is little in Swansea to cause us to remain longer, so we 
soon resume our journey. We ride westward along the 
shore of the Bristol Channel, passing places with names 



IN SOUTHWESTERN WALES 265 

we cannot pronounce. Nor do we understand the guard 
when he announces them. The names of the stations can 
be seen, however, and we read those of Llougher, Llan- 
elly, Kidwelly, and others, all busy little seaports. 

At Carmarthen we change cars. It will be two hours 
before our train arrives. We decide to walk about the 
little city of ten thousand, and see the remains of the old 
walls built by the Romans. Later we follow the broad 
walk that leads to the little river (Towy) near by. Here 
we see among the boats on the river some that are 
very strange to us. They are round and small, and their 
light frames are covered with horsehide. They are almost 
as hard to balance as a birch-bark canoe. We are told 
that they are one of the most ancient forms of British 
boats. 

When our train carries us through the southwestern 
corner of Wales, we recognize in the names of the sta- 
tions we pass many that we have seen in the vicinity of 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As we dart swiftly through 
these places, we are reminded that many of the Welsh, 
when they came to America, settled in Pennsylvania, in 
the vicinity of its greatest city. 

Our party now goes on to St. David's, a little village 
near the extreme southwestern point of Wales. The coun- 
try around us is bleak and desolate. Here is the cathe- 
dral in which lie the ashes of St. David, the patron saint 
of Wales. We are eager to visit the spot. This cathedral, 
we find, is not so imposing as are many similar structures 
we have seen in the British Isles ; but it is interesting, 
however, because it is believed to be the most important 
building of its kind in Wales. 

While our guide conducts us through the nave and 
transepts, he points out the shrine of St. David, and re- 
lates many of the marvelous legends that cluster about 



266 IN ST. DAVID'S LAND 

the name of the patron saint of Wales. He tells us of the 
wonderful cures St. David wrought, even when he was a 
baby. He recites stories of his courage and of his great 
learning. From them we learn that St. David's name in 
Welsh was Dewi, and that he lived, in the early part of 
the sixth century. He was a great man and good, and the 
people of Wales cherish his memory as fondly as the Irish 
cherish that of St. Patrick. 

We walk a mile and a half to the towering, rocky cliff 
of St. David's Head, which is cut off from the mainland 
by a stone fort so old that no one knows when it was 
built. From a height of a hundred feet above the sea we 
look down upon the tossing waves of the broad Atlantic. 
The sails of vessels not far away glisten in the sunlight. 
Trails of smoke in the distance mark the passing of busy 
steamers. Far beyond them all is America and home! 

We listen to the waves far below us beating out their 
music on the great rocks. Strange birds are circling about, 
their weird cries forming an accompaniment to the music 
of the sea. Not a human being is near us. In our last 
hours in Wales, we have only our thoughts for company. 
When at last we turn away, we are eager to start on our 
homeward way. The sight of the Atlantic has reminded 
us of our own country. 

At Fishguard, the terminus of one of the short cross- 
ings from Ireland, we find a luxuriously appointed train 
awaiting us. Soon after we take our seats in our com- 
partments, we begin our swift journey back to London. 
Darting through busy towns which we have already seen, 
through level valleys and under dark mountains, our 
train knows neither stop nor rest. Only a few hours 
pass before we are again in London, — though not to 
stay. 

In the morning following our arrival we secure two four- 



HOMEWARD BOUND 267 

wheelers. Their tops are speedily covered with our trunks. 
Inside the carriages, steamer rugs and parcels crowd us, 
but we do not complain. We are starting for home ! 

At Waterloo Station we find our train for Southampton, 
where we are to sail for America. The crowd of passen- 
gers are mostly Americans. Apparently, all are as eager 
as we to start. We enter the steamer train as soon as our 
baggage is on board, and in a brief time we are moving. 
The train is swift, but not too fast for our desires. 

We dart through regions familiar to us, though now 
they are tinted with the colors of October, not of July, 
At Winchester, we smile as we recall the old trenchers 
we saw in the school there. We obtain a fleeting glimpse 
of the old castle, and of the tower of the beautiful cathe- 
dral. Soon these are left behind us. In less than an hour 
our train draws alongside the steamer which is awaiting 
us at the docks of Southampton. 

There is even more excitement among the passengers 
than when we sailed from New York. The faces of men 
on the dock express their interest in the departing trav- 
elers, but all are strangers to us. We hand our small bag- 
gage to the waiting stewards, we hasten to inspect our 
rooms, and then try to secure places at the tables in the 
dining-saloon. By the time all this has been accomplished, 
the great boat is leaving the dock. Old England is behind 
us. Before us is Young America — our own dear country. 

What are we to carry home ? Some articles that we 
have bought, photographs and souvenirs we have secured 
of well-known places, but, best of all, many delightful 
memories and a great respect and admiration for the 
people of the British Isles. 



268 IN ST. DAVID'S LAND 

QUESTIONS 

Locate Wales. Compare its size with that of England, Ohio, 
New Jersey. 

Why was Wales so long independent ? Who is its patron 
saint ? 

Who is now the Prince of Wales ? When, where, and why 
was the title first given ? 

Where are the Welsh summer resorts ? Why are they popu- 
lar? 

Locate Cardiff and describe its leading industries. 

Where is Swansea ? For what is it famous ? 

Why are tin and copper brought to Swansea to be manufac- 
tured ? 

Why is Welsh coal in demand ? Compare Cardiff with New- 
castle. 

What and where is St. David's Head ? 

What is the highest mountain in England and Wales ? What 
important rivers of England rise among the Welsh hills ? 

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK 

Describe your experience at a Welsh singing festival. 
Describe a visit to a Welsh coal-mine. 
Write about a climb to the summit of Mt. Snowdon, or a 
visit to a famous castle in Wales. 



APPENDIX 

CONTRASTS AND COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE 
BRITISH ISLES AND THE UNITED STATES 

i. In natural scenery there is little in the British Isles to be 
compared with the mountains, rivers, and plains of the United 
States. There are no mountains like the Rockies, no bodies of 
water like the Great Lakes, no rivers like the Mississippi, St. 
Lawrence, and Hudson. 

2. In places of architectural and historical interest, in museums, 
cathedrals, and castles, in public buildings, parks, and gardens, 
the British Isles easily surpass us. England's age is so much greater 
than ours that she has had time to develop and build. Nature has 
done more for the United States. The hand of man has done more 
for the United Kingdom. 

3. In extent of country, the United Kingdom seems to Ameri- 
cans almost tiny. The United States (omitting Alaska) has an area 
of 3,025,500 square miles ; while that of the United Kingdom is about 
121,000 square miles — about one twenty-fifth the size of our 
country. No other great power has so small an area. Her popula- 
tion, however, is about half that of the United States. 

4. The greatest wealth of the United States is taken from the 
land. Farming is important in the British Isles, but the population 
cannot be supplied by the products of the soil. Hence commerce 
and manufacturing are leading industries. 

5. The people of the United Kingdom are more alike than in our 
country, where so many nationalities are found. 

6. Natural causes have made the cities of the British Isles, par- 
ticularly in England, spring up near one another. In our country, 
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, 
and San Francisco are far apart. In the north of England, how- 
ever, we find that Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, 
Sheffield, Bradford, Leicester, Derby, Warwick, Halifax, and many 
other cities are within a circle not more than one hundred miles 
in diameter. 

7. In America, people are quick to take hold. In England they 
are slow to let go. Age, custom, and tradition count for much more 
with the English than with us. The United States is enterprising. 



2 7 o APPENDIX 

The United Kingdom is tenacious. Our country is keen, the other 
is sure. In our land, quickness is greatly in demand ; in the other, 
patience and persistence are more highly regarded. Originality, 
invention, initiative, seem to be the distinguishing traits of Ameri- 
cans; while the qualities most common to English people are 
thoroughness, permanence, and carefulness. 

8. Opportunity is greater in the United States than in the 
British Isles. Too often, in Great Britain, a boy must of necessity 
follow his father's occupation. Land is owned by fewer people, and 
population is crowded far more than amongst us. England is great, 
and has a great past. The United States is great, and has a great 
future. An English boy thinks of what England has done and is 
doing; an American boy thinks of what America is doing and 
will do. 

AREA OF THE BRITISH ISLES 

The area of the British Isles is 121,376 square miles, divided as 
follows : — 

England 50,867 square miles. 

Scotland 30,405 square miles. 

Wales 7,442 square miles. 

Ireland 32,360 square miles. 

Isle of Man > so2 square miles . 

Channel Islands ) J l 

England and Wales, in shape, resemble a triangle whose greatest 
length from apex to base is about 350 miles, and which varies in 
breadth from 100 to 350 miles. The extreme length of Scotland is 
286 miles. In breadth Scotland varies from 33 to 160 miles. The 
greatest length of Ireland is 290 miles, and its greatest breadth 
is 175 miles. 

POPULATION 

The present total population of the British Isles is estimated at 
about 45,000,000, England being four times as densely populated as 
either Scotland or Ireland. The latest official census figures (1901) 
show the population of the various countries to be about as fol- 
lows : — 

England and Wales about 33,000.000 

Scotland about 4,500,000 

Ireland about 4,500,000 

Adjacent Islands about 1 50,000 



APPENDIX 



271 



CHIEF CITIES AND TOWNS, WITH POPULATION 



England 



Greater London 7,323,327 

Liverpool 753,203 

Manchester 649,251 

Birmingham 558,357 

Leeds 477, 107 

Sheffield 463,222 

Bristol . . • '• 372,785 

West Ham 31 5,000 

Bradford 292,136 

Newcastle 277,257 

Hull 271,137 

Nottingham 260,449 

Leicester 240,172 

Salford 239,294 

Portsmouth 21 1,493 j 

Bolton 185,358; 

Croydon 157,698 

Sunderland 1 57,693 

Oldham 142,407 



Blackburn 135,961 

Brighton 129,967 

Gateshead 128,393 

Derby 127,583 

Norwich 1 22,84 1 

Southampton 122,196 

Plymouth 122,113 

Birkenhead 1 19,830 

Preston 11 7,799 

South Shields 1 15,535 

Halifax n 1,018 

Burnley 105,1 10 

Middlesbrough 103,511 

Wolverhampton 103,318 

Stockport 102,339 

Walsall 97,778 

Northampton 96,405 

Saint Helens 93,812 



Scotland 

Glasgow 859,715 I Paisley 90,305 

Edinburgh 350,524 j Leith 84,689 

Aberdeen 178,210 j Greenock 71,783 

Dundee 168,616 | Perth 35,196 



Ireland 



Belfast 349> I S° 

Dublin ..*.. 290,638 

Cork 76,122 



Londonderry 39,892 

Limerick 38,151 

Waterford 26,769 



Wales 



Cardiff 191,446 Swansea. 

Merthyr Tydfil 122,545 | 



97,8io 



1 The figures of population are taken from the Statesman's Year Book for 
1909, excepting those of Merthyr Tydfil, which are from the latest census of 
Great Britain. 



5o 

In the Lowlands. 

Clyde 98 

Tweed 96 

Nith 60 



272 APPENDIX 

PRINCIPAL RIVERS 

With their length in miles. 

England Scotland 

Thames 215 In the Highlands. 

Severn 158 Tay no 

Great Ouse 156 Forth 100 

Trent i47jSpey 96 

Wye 135 j Dee 87 

Ouse 1141 Don 

Nen 100 

Tees 79 

Tyne 73 

Dee 70 

Mersey 68 

Wear 65 

Avon (Bristol) 62 

Humber 1 38 

Ireland 

The Shannon River is 225 miles long. Other rivers in Ireland 
are small, and if they are navigable, it is only for a short distance. 
Among them are the Liffey. the Boyne, the Lagan, the Lee, and 
the Foyle. 

LAKES 

England 

In the northwest of England, among the Cumbrian Mountains, 
is the famous " lake district." In the valleys of these mountains 
are fourteen lakes from one to ten miles long. The largest are 
Windermere, Ullswater, Coniston Water, Bassenthwaite Water, 
and Derwentwater. 

Scotland 

In Scotland are many lakes, mostly small. The largest is Loch 
Lomond, twenty-four miles long. Others are Loch Shin, Loch 
Katrine, Loch Ness, and Loch Maree. 

Ireland 

Ireland contains many lakes, some of which form chains of 
water linked to one another by connecting rivers. Lough Neagh is 

1 The Humber, although a short river, is exceedingly important because of its 
tributaries, the chief of which are the Trent and the Ouse. 



APPENDIX 273 

the largest inland lake on the British Isles. It covers an area of 
153 square miles. Other Irish lakes are Killarney, Lakes of the 
Shannon, and Lakes of the River Erne. 

CHIEF PRODUCTS OF THE BRITISH ISLES 
Minerals l 

Coal 236, 1 28,936 tons 

Iron ore 14,590,703 tons 

Pig iron 9,608,068 tons 

Live Stock 2 

Sheep 29,210,035 head 

Cattle 11,691,955 head 

Pigs 3,580,740 head 

Horses 2,110,024 head 

The wool produced by the sheep amounts, annually, to 131,000,000 
pounds. 

Vegetation ' 

Oats 3,500,000 acres 

Barley 1,500,000 acres 

Wheat 1,500,000 acres 

Potatoes 1 ,200,000 acres 

Turnips 2,300,000 acres 

Grass, other crops, and 

pasturage 33,500.000 acres 

THE BRITISH EMPIRE 
The British Empire comprises one fifth of the surface of the 
earth. One fifth of all the people on the globe are under British do- 
minion. In India, the empire includes a country larger than Europe 
(without Russia). Classified, the British Empire, in addition to the 
United Kingdom, embraces the following lands : — 

Gibraltar 
Malta 

Europe \ Cyprus 

Channel Islands 
Isle of Man 

1 Statistics of 1905. - Statistics of 1906. 



274 



APPENDIX 



Asia, 



Ceylon (including dependencies) 
The Straits Settlements 
Federated Malay States 
Hong-Kong and Wei-Hai-Wei 
Borneo (in parts) 
Labuan (in parts) 



Africa. 



In the West 



In the South 

and 

Southeast 



Gambia 

Sierra Leone 

Gold Coast Colony 

Lagos 

Southern Nigeria 

Northern Nigeria (Protectorate) 

Cape Colony 

Basutoland 

Bechuanaland (Protectorate) 

Transvaal 

Orange River Colony 

Natal 

Rhodesia 

Protected Territories in East and Centre 
(known as the East Africa Witu, 
Uganda, Zanzibar, Nyasaland, and 
Somaliland Protectorates) 

Seychelles Islands 

Mauritius Island 



North 
America. 



Canada 

Newfoundland 

Jamaica 

Turks and Caicos Islands 

Bahamas 

Leeward Islands 

Windward Islands 

Barbados 

Trinidad 

Tobago 



South 
America. 



British Guiana 

British Honduras 

Ascension Islands 

Falklands (including dependencies) 

St. Helena Island 



APPENDIX 



275 



Australasia 



Australia 

Tasmania 

New Zealand 

Fiji Islands 

Parts of New Guinea 

Islands in the South Sea (Protectorate) 



INDEX 



Abbotsford, 169, 170. 

Aberdeen, 179, 180, 181. 

Aberfoyle, 195. 

Africa, 120, 228. 

Albion, 10S. 

Alderney, 117. 

Alfred, 45, 126. 

Ambleside, 163. 

American Indians, 84, 172. 

Anglesea, 255. 

Annapolis, 107. 

Anne, 92, 96. 

Anthem of Harrow, 99. 

Antwerp, 148. 

Archbishop of Canterbury, 107. 

Archbishop of York, 107. 

Argyle Street, 201. 

Arizona, 137. 

Army, 53. 

Arnold, Thomas, 146. 

Arthur, 125, 126, 133, 136. 

Arthur's Seat, 174. 

Athens, 84, 172. 

Athlone, 236. 

Atlantic City, 103, in, 112. 

Australia, 36, 93, 120, 243. 

Avalon, Vale of, 133. 

Avon River, 140. 

Ayr, 204, 205. 

Ayrshire, 204. 

Baggage, 16. 

Ballock, 196. 

Baltic Sea, 158, 178. 

Bank of England, 18, 60, 81. 

Bank of Ireland, 211, 226. 

Bannockburn, 195 

Barlass, 178. 

Barrow, 247. 

Bath, 140, 141. 

Bath, Roman, 28. 

Battersea, 58. 

Battle, hi. 

Battle Abbey, in. 

Beefeaters, 70. 

Belfast, 208, 210-218, 224, 229. 

Belfast, Lord Mayor of, 211. 

Belfast University, 211. 

Belgium, 216. 

Bells on shipboard, 7. 

Benavie, 188. 

Ben Lomond, 196. 

Ben Nevis, 188, 189. 



Ben Venue, 196. 

Bettws-y-Coed, 25S. 

Big Ben, 65. 

Billingsgate, 56, jt,. 

Birds in mid-ocean. 9. 

Birkenhead, 24. 

Birmingham, 23, 32, ^3, 35, 156. 

Blackwall Tunnel, 87. 

Blarney Castle, 244-246. 

Bleak House, 104. 

Blenheim, 96. 

Bloody Tower, 71. 

Bond Street, yy. 

Bonheur, Rosa, 86. 

Book of Kells, 226. 

Bowness, 162, 163. 

Boyne, Battle of the, 222, 223. 

Bradford, 156, 157. 

Breweries of Dublin, 229. 

Brian Boru, 219, 231. 

Brighton, in, 112. 

Bristol, 23, 139, 140, 200. 

Bristol Channel, 139, 149, 262, 263. 

British Isles, number of, n. 

British Museum, 83, 84, 172, 216. 

Broadstairs, 103. 

Brooklyn Bridge, 176, 206. 

Brooks, Phillips, 69. 

Brown, Tom, 146. 

Bruce, Robert, 169, 179, 195. 

Buckingham Palace, 53. 

Burns, Robert, 175, 202, 204, 205. 

Byron, 99. 

Calais, 108. 

Caledonian Canal, 187, 188. 

Cam River, 144. 

Cambridge, 97, 144, 145. 

Canada, 119. 

Cantaber, 144. 

Canterbury, 107. 

Canterbury, Archbishop of, 107. 

Canterbury Cathedral, 107. 

Canterbury Pilgrims, 107. 

Canute, 120. 

Captain, powers of, 6. 

Cardiff, 261-263. 

Carlisle, 161, 165, 166. 

Carlyle, Thomas, 198. 

Carmarthen, 265. 

Carnarvon, 255. 

Caroline, 57. 

Carroll, Lewis, 46. 



278 



INDEX 



Cars, 25. 

Carse o' Gowrie, 179. 

Cashel, Rock of, 24S. 

Castle Hill, 95. ' 

Cattle, Kerry, 222, 235. 

Chancery Lane, 60. 

Channel Islands, 114-118. 

Charing Cross, 49, 59, 77, 105. 

Charlecote Park, 43. 

Charles I, 27, 75. 

Charles II, 222. 

Chatham, 106. 

Chaucer, 107. 

Cheshire, 26, 27. 

Chester, 23, 25-27, 29. 

Chester Cathedral, 29. 

Cheviot Hills, 165. 

China, 206, 228. 

Christ Church College, 46. 

Christ Church (Dublin), 227. 

Clapham, 101. 

Cleopatra, 216. 

Clogwyn-du'r-Arddu, 257. 

Clyde, Firth of, 204. 

Clyde River, 197, 199-203, 217. 

Coal, 160. 

Cobden, Richard, 22. 

Columbus, 96. 

Compartments in cars, 25, 

Connaught, 219. 

Conway, 259. 

Conway River, 260. 

Cook, Captain, 134. 

Cork, 243-246. 

Cornwall, 136-138, 152, 263, 264. 

Coronation chair, 64. 

Cotton, manufacture of, 20. 
Counties, 35. 

County Council, 35. 

Covent Garden Market, 56. 

Cowes, 121, 122. 

Crib-y-Ddysgyl, 257. 

Cromlechs, 233. 

Cromwell, 28, 92, 222. 

Crown jewels, 71. 

Crusades, 120. 

Cumbrian Hills, 146. 

Curfew, 38. 

Damascus, 216. 

Danes, 23, 61, 130, 219. 

Darwin, 63. 

David I, 169. 

Dee River, 27, 28, 261. 

Dee (Scotland), 181. 

Delfthaven, 120. 

De Quincey, Thomas, 22. 

Derby, 23, 153, 154, 156. 

Derry, 222. 

Detroit, S6. 



Detroit River, 86. 

Deva, 27. 

Devonshire, 134, 263. 

Dickens, 63, 103, 104. 

Docks, London, 87. 

Docks, Millwall, 87. 

Docks, Royal Albert and Victoria, 87. 

Docks, West India, 87. 

D6"n River, 181. 

Douglas, 250. 

Douglas, Catherine, 178. 

Dove Cottage, 163. 

Dover, 23, 102, 103, 105, 107-109. 

Dover Castle, 108. 

Downpatrick, 208, 209. 

Downs, 1 10T 

Drake. Francis, 134. 

Drink bill of Ireland, 250. 

Drogheda, 222. 

Druids, 130. 210, 248. 

Dryburgh Abbey, 170. 

Dublin, 224-230. 

Dublin, breweries of, 229. 

Duke of Marlborough, 76. 

Duke of Wellington, 22, 57, 82, 224. 

Duluth, 20. 

Dundee, 178, 179. 

Dundee Law, 179. 

Dunfermline, 194. 

Dunloe, Gap of, 241, 242. 

Dumbarton, 196-198. 

Eagle Tower, 255. 
Earl of Kenmare, 239. 
East End, 60. 
East India Docks, 87. 
Eaton Hall, 29-32. 
Eddystone Lighthouse, 135. 
Edinburgh, 171-176, 201. 
Edinburgh Castle, 173, 174. 
Edinburgh University, 172. 
Edward I, 64, 255, 259. 
Edward II, 195, 255. 
Edward III, 64. 
Edward VII, 59, 71. 
Edward the Confessor, 61, 63. 
Elgin, Lord, 84. 
Elgin Marbles, 84. 
Eliot, George, 104, 145. 
Elizabeth, 40, 71, 96, 134. 
Ellen's Isle, 196. 
Emmet, Robert, 224. 
English Channel, ill, 114. 
Eton College, 96-99. 
Euston, 49. 
Exeter, 134. 

Fags, 97. 

Father Mathew, 224. 

Father Prout, 244. 



INDEX 



279 



Fife, 179. 

Fingal's Cave, 190, 191. 

Fin MacCoul, 220, 221. 

Firth of Clyde, 204. 

Firth of Forth, 174, 177. 

Fish, value of annual catch, 150. 

Fishguard, 266. 

Fishing Banks, 1S0. 

Fitz-James, 196. 

Fleet Street, 78. 

Folkestone, 109. 

Forth Bridge, 176. 

Forth, Firth of, 174, 177. 

Fort William, 188. 

Fox, 99. 

Franklin, Benjamin, 3S. 

Gaelic words, 225. 

Garden of England, 105. 

Garrick, David, 63. 

Garrowgate Street, 201. 

General Post Office, 60. 

George II, 57, 92. 

George III, 55. 

Giant's Causeway, 191, 219, 220. 

Girls Day School Co. Limited, 101. 

Girton College, 145. 

Gladstone, W. E., 29, 46, 99. 

Glasgow, 193, 194-203, 217, 222. 

Glastonbury, 132, 133. 

Glencoe, Pass of, 192, 193. 

God Begot House, 126. 

Golden Hind, 134. 

Golden Vale, 236, 237, 246-248. 

Goldsmith, Oliver, 78, 79, 225. 

Grampian Hills, 179. 

Grattan, 224. 

Gravesend, 103. 

Gray, 95. 

Gray's Elegy, 95. 

Great Grimsby, 149. 

Great Orme's Head, 261. 

Great Pump Room, 141. 

Great Russell Street, 83. 

Great Tom, 46. 

Greenwich, 93. 

Greenwich Park, 93. 

Grey, Lady Jane, 72. 

Guernsey, 114-116. 

Gulf Stream, 7, 138. 

Guy's Cliff, 41. 

Halifax, 155. 

Hamburg, 148. 

Hampton Court, 89, 91, 174. 

Harold, no. 

Harp, 231. 

Harrow, 99. 

Harwich, 148. 

Hastings, no. 



Hastings, Battle of, no, in. 

Hastings, Warren, 63. 

Hathaway, Anne, 44. 

Hawarden Castle, 29. 

Heather, 163, 188. 

Hebrides, 189. 

Henry V, 71. 

Henry VI, 96 

Henry VII, 132. 

Henry VIII, 40, 70, 01, 132. 

Highlands, 168. 

Hobby-horse, 85. 

Holland, 216. 

Holyhead, 252, 254, 255. 

Holyrood Palace, 174. 

Hook of Holland, 148. 

Hops, 105. 

Horizon, 10. 

Horse Show, 230. 

House of Commons, 65-67. 

House of Lords, 68. 

Houses, 29. 

Houses of London, 51. 

Houses of Parliament, 59, 64, 65. 

Hugo, Victor, 116. 

Hull, 158, 171. 

Humber River, 158. 

Hyde Park, 54, 57. 

India, 120, 206, 227 

Indians, American, 84, 172. 

Inverness, 187. 

Iona, 191, 192. 

Ireland, Lord Lieutenant of, 228. 

Irish kings, 231. 

Irish lace, 212. 

Irish melodies, 231. 

Irish Parliament, 226. 

Irish Royalists, 222. 

Irish Sea, 206, 229. 

Irwell River, 20, 22. 

Isle of Man, 249-251. 

Isle of Wight, 112, 121, 122. 

James II, 222. 
Japan, 206, 227. 
Jaunting cars, 212, 213. 
John o' Groat, 185. 
Johnson, Dr., 78. 
Jonson, Ben, 226. 
Joseph of Arimathsea, 133. 

Kells, Book of, 226. 
Kenil worth, 40, 41. 
Kenmare, Earl of, 239. 
Kensington Gardens, 54. 
Kent, 105, 107. 
Kerry cattle, 222, 235. 
Keswick, 163, 164. 
Kew Gardens, 54, 55. 



280 



INDEX 



Kew Palace, 55. 
Kidwelley, 265. 
Kiel Canal, 158. 
Killarney, 23S-240, 242, 245. 
Killarney, Lakes of, 240, 241. 
Kilmarnock, 204. 
Kingstown, 229, 250, 252. 
" King's Tobacco Pipe," 87. 
" King's Tragedy,"' 1 78. 
Kirkcaldy, 177. 
Kirkwall, 1S2. 
Knight Templars, 79. 
Knox, John, 174. 
Kohinoor, 72. 

Lace, Irish, 212. 
Lady of the Lake, 196. 
Laeghaire, 231. 
Lake Champlain, 196. 
Lake District, 146, 162, 163. 
Lake George, 163, 196. 
Lakes ot Killarney, 240, 241. 
Lambeth, 58. 
Lancashire, 35, 229. 



Landseer, 



82. 



So. 



Land's End, 138, 

Lame, 206. 

Leamington, 41. 

Lee River, 244, 245. 

Leeds, 21, 152, 157. 

Leicester, 21, 152, 153. 

Leinster, 219. 

Lerwick, 182. 

Lewis, 189. 

Liberty, statue of, 3. 

Liffey River, 229. 

Limerick, 236-238. 

Linen, 210, 211, 213-216. 

Little Nell, 78. 

Liverpool, 14-17. 20, 21, 121, 199. 

Lizard, 138. 

Llandudno, 260. 

Llanelly, 265. 

Llougher, 265. 

Llundain, 59. 

Loch Katrine, 176, 195, 196. 

Loch Lomond, 196, 197. 

Loch Ryan, 206. 

Lockhart, 171. 

Locomotives, 25. . 

Lombard Street, 82. 

London, 49-60, 87-89, 102, 103, 

171, 266, 267. 
London Bridge, 56, 72, 73, 86. 
London Clay, 51. 
London County Council, 59. 
London Docks, 87. 
London fog, 56, 57. 
London houses, 51. 
London, Lord Mayor of, 81. 



I London, Port of, 86. 
London, Tower of, 69-72. 
Londonderry, 221. 222. 
Longfellow, 63. 
Long Island, 139. 
Long Range, 240. 
Lord Elgin, 84. 

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 228. 
Lord Mayor of Belfast, 211. 
Lord Mayor of London, 81. 
Lord Nelson, 74, 75, 82. 
Lough Leane, 241, 242. 
Lowell, 69. 

Macaulay, 63. 

MacGillicuddy Reeks, 241. 

Maclan (Macdonald), 193. 

Macroom, 242. 

Magna Charta, 84. 

Magnetic Pavilion, 93. 

Maidstone, 106. 

Malta, 131. 

Man, Isle of, 249-251. 

Manchester, 20, 21, 22, 199. 

Manchester Canal, 22. 

Mansion House, 80. 

Margate, 103, 104. 

Marlborough, Duke of, 76. 

Marlborough House, 76. 

Martyrs' Monument, 175. 

Mary Queen of Scots, 174, 226. 

Mathew, Father, 224. 

Mayflower, 120, 135. 

Maypole, 78. 

Melrose, 168. 

Melrose Abbey, 169. 

Menai Strait, 255. 

Merchant of Venice, 105. 

Mersey River, 15. 

Merthyr-Tydfil, 261. 

Michigan, 137. 

Middle Lake, Killarney, 240, 241. 

Midlands, 36, 49. 

Millwall Docks, 87. 

Milton, 63, 69, 226. 

Money, 18, 19. 

Montana, 137. 

Moore, Thomas, 225, 231. 

More, Sir Thomas, 72. 

Mt. Snowdon, 256, 257. 

Munster, 219. 

Napoleon, 22, 74. 
National Gallery, 85. 
Navy, 93. 
Needles, The, 121. 
Nelson, Lord, 74, 75, 82. 
Nelson Monument, 75. 
Nevada, 137. 
New Bond Street, ■/■/. 



INDEX 



Newcastle, 159-161. 

New Forest, 122. 

Newfoundland, 119. 

Newfoundland, Banks of, 3, 7. 

Newhaven, 109. 

New Mexico, 137. 

New Oxford Street, 77. 

Newport, 122. 

Newton, Isaac, 63, 226. 

New Zealand, 22S. 

Nore River, 247. 

Norfolk, 148. 

Northamptonshire, 38. 

North Channel, 206. 

North Sea, 150, 15S, 180, 185, 187. 

Norway, 158, 171. 

Norwich, 150, 151. 

Nottingham, 20, 101. 

Oban, 189, 192. 

O'Connell, 224. 

Old Curiosity Shop, 78. 

Orkney Islands, 181, 182. 

Osborne House, 122. 

Ouse River, 157. 

Oxford, 44-46, 49, 90. 

Oxford Circus, 77. 

Oxfordshire, 44. 

Oxford Street, 76. 

Oxford University, 46-48, 97. 

Paddington, 49. 

Pall Mall, 75. 

Parliament, Houses of, 59, 64, 65. 

Parliament, Irish, 226. 

Parliament, Scottish, 172. 

Parthenon, 84. 

Pass of Glencoe, 192, 193. 

Paupers, 88. 

Peat, 233. 

Pennine Hills, 153. 

Pentland Firth, 181. 

Perth, 177, 178. 

Philadelphia, 199, 265. 

Phoenicians, 137. 

Phoenix Park, 224, 225. 

Piccadilly, 76. 

Piccadilly Circus, 76. 

Pilgrims, 120, 135. 

Pitt, 63, 99. 

Pittenweem, 177. 

Plymouth, 23, 120, 134, 135. 

Plymouth, Mass., 120. 

Pocahontas, 103. 

Poets' Corner, 63. 

Pomona, 182. 

Port of London, 86. 

Portland, Oregon, 118. 

Portsmouth, 112-114. 

Potatoes in Ireland, 234. 



Poultry (street), 80. 
Prince of Wales, 76, 255, 256. 
Princes Street, 1 73. 
Prout, Father, 244. 
" Puffing Billy," 85. 
Purple Mountain, 240. 

Queenstown, 3, 12, 14, 244. 

Raleigh, Sir Walter, 68, 72. 
Ramsgate, 103. 
Reading, 49. 
Regent's Canal, 87. 
Reynolds, Sir Joshua, 82. 
Richard II, 8t„ 120. 
Richmond, 93. 
Roadsteads, 109. 
Rob Roy, 196. 
Rochdale, 155. 
Rock of Cashel, 248. 
Roderick Dhu, 196. 
Roman bath, 28. 
Romans, 27. 
Rossetti, 178. 
Rotten Row, 5; 



Round Table, 



[36. 



Round Tower, 95. 

Royal Albert and Victoria Docks, 87. 

Royal Avenue, Belfast, 211. 

Royal Dockyard, 106. 

Royal Naval College, 93. 

Royal Observatory, 93. 

Royal Yacht Squadron, 121. 

Rugby, 23,96, 146-148. 

Ruskin, 163. 

Russia, 216. 

Rutlandshire, 35. 

Sackville Street, Dublin, 224. 

St. Andrew, 177. 

St. Andrews, 177, 179. 

St. Columba, 192. 

St. David, 265, 266. 

St. David's Head, 266. 

St. Enoch's Station, 204. 

St. George's Channel, 14. 

St. Helier's, 117. 

St. James's Palace, 76. 

St. "James's Park, 53, 54. 

St. Margaret's, 68, 69. 

St. Mary's Church, Warwick, 38. 

St. Mary le Strand, 78. 

St. Oran, 192. 

St. Pancras, 5S. 

St. Patrick, 208-210, 231. 

St. Patrick's Cathedral, 227. 

St. Patrick Street, Cork, 244. 

St. Paul's Cathedral, 60, 8c, 82, 176, 

203. 
St. Peter Port, 1 1 5. 



282 



INDEX 



Salisbury, 23, 129. 

Salisbury Plain, 143. 

Sandy Hook, 3. 

Sark, 117. 

Sauchiehall Street, 201. 

Saxons, 41, 130. 

Scandinavia, 184. 

Scilly Islands, 139. 

Scone Palace, 177. 

Scone, Stone of, 64. 

Scott, Sir Walter, 169, 170, 202. 

Scottish Museum of Science and Arts, 

172. 
Scottish Parliament, 172. 
Scottish Regalia, 174. 
Senlac, no. 
Serpentine, 57. 
Severn River, 140. 
Shakespeare, 42, 43, 63. 
Shakespeare Memorial Building, 43. 
Shandon Bells, 244. 
Shannon River, 236, 237. 
Sheffield, 154, 155. 
Shelley, 99. 

Shelters at Dublin, 228. 
Sheridan, 224. 
Shetland Islands, 181 -184. 
Shipbuilding, 218. 
Shoreditch, 58. 
Sitric, 227. 

Snowdon, Mt., 256, 257. 
Soar River, 152. 
Soldiers, 53. 
Somersetshire, 131. 
Souter, Johnnie, 205. 
South America, 120, 200, 227. 
Southampton, 114, 120, 121, 125, 267. 
South Kensington Museum, 85. 
Spain, 232. 
Speedwell, 120. 
Spithead, 112. 
Staffa, 190, 220, 221. 
Staten Island, 3. 
Steamships, 2, 4, 8, 9. 
Stirling, 194. 
Stirling Castle, 194, 195. 
Stonehenge, 129, 130, 233. 
Storm at Sea, 10. 
Strait of Dover, T09, 112. 
Strand, yS. 

Stratford-on-Avon, 42. 
Stroud, 155. 
Suffolk, 148. 
Suir River, 247. 
Sunday, 56. 
Swansea, 263, 264. 

Taff River, 262. 
Tam O'Shanter, 205. 
Tara, 231. 



Tate Gallery, 85. 

Tay River, 177, 179. 

Temple Church, 79, 80. 

Tennyson, 122, 171. 

Thackeray, 63. 

Thames River, 44, 59, 86-89, 9 T > 9°> 102, 

103, 106, 143. 
Thousand Islands, 163. 
Threadneedle Street, 82. 
Time, change of, 5. 6. 
Tintagel, 136. 
Tipperary, 248. 
Tottenham Court Road, yy. 
Tower, Bloody, 71. 
Tower Bridge, 72, 73. 
Tower Clock, 64. 
Tower, Eagle, 255. 
Tower of London, 69-72. 
Tower, Wakefield, 70, 71. 
Towy River, 265. 
Trafalgar Cape, 74, 93. 
Trafalgar Square, 74, yy, 85. 
Trent River, 159. 
Trinity College, Cambridge, 144. 
Trinity College, Dublin, 225, 226. 
Trongate Street, 201. 
Trossachs, 176, 195. 
Turner, 82. 

Tweed River, 168, 170. 
Tynemouth, 161. 
Tyne River, 161. 

Ulster, 219. 

Ultima Thule, 184. 

United Kingdom, 11, 12. 

Unst, 182. 

Upper Lake, Killarney, 240. 

Vale of Avalon, 133. 
Vale of Avoca, 247. 
Vicar of Wakefield. 80. 
Victoria, 83, 95, 122. 
Victoria University, 22. 

Wakefield Tower, 70, 71. 

Wales, story of, 253. 

Wallace, William, 171, 197. 

Warwick, ^y, 39. 

Warwick Castle, 39. 

Warwickshire, 35, 37, 44. 

Washington, George, 38. 

Washington Monument, 70. 

Waterford, 246, 247. 

Waterloo, 22. 

Waterloo Station, 49, 267. 

Watts, James, 203. 

Wellington, Duke of, 22, 57, S2, 224. 

Wesley, 137. 

Wessex, 125. 

West, Benjamin, 31, 82. 



INDEX 



283 



West End, 59. 

West India Docks, 87. 

Westminster, 58. 

Westminster Abbey, 59, 61, 63, 64, 

177. 
Westminster Bridge, 90. 
Westminster, Duke of, 30. 
Westminster Palace, 69. 
West Point, 107. 
Whispering Gallery, 82. 
Whistler, 198. 
Whitby, 23. 
Whitechapel, 60. 
White Tower, 70. 
Whittier, 69. 
Wick, 185. 

Wicklow Hills, 224, 257. 
Wight, Isle of, 112, 121, 122. 
William the Conqueror, 65, 70, 110, 

in, 154, 161. 
William III, 193, 222. 
William of Wykeham, 127. 
William Rufus, 123, 166. 
Wiltshire, 43. 



Winchester, 125, 267. 
Winchester Abbey, 127. 
Winchester Cathedral, 127. 
Winchester School, 127. 
Windermere, 162. 
Windsor, 90, 91. 
Windsor Castle, 94-96, 174. 
Windsor Forest, 96. 
Wolsey, Cardinal, 46, 91. 
Wolverhampton, 34. 
Woolsack, 68. 
Woolwich, 94. 
Worcester, 23. 
Worcester, Mass., 24. 
Wordsworth, 146, 163. 
Wren, Sir Christopher, 76, 82. 
Wye River, 162. 

Yarmouth, 149, 150. 

"Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese," 78. 

Yeoman, 70. 

York, 23. 

York, Archbishop of, 107. 

Yorkshire, 35, 157, 161. 



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